BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team fell int he 22nd annual Battle of Brooklyn Monday night in the Steinberg Wellness Center, as St. Francis Brooklyn shot out to an early lead and stayed there, eventually winning, 73-49. SFBK senior Sarah Benedetti was named the Battle of Brooklyn MVP, with 17 points and four assists.

With the loss, LIU is now 9-20 overall, 6-12 in the NEC, and will be the eighth seed in the upcoming Northeast Conference tournament. The Blackbirds will take on top-seeded Central Connecticut State, Sunday, March 8, time TBD.

St. Francis scored early and often in the opening minutes of the annual battle for bragging rights. The Terriers opened with a three at 19:45, and followed that with two more from two different players, to go up, 9-0 by 18:32. Sophomore Brianna Farris got LIU on the board at 16:50 with a layup, and the Blackbirds started to show signs of life. Two free throws from senior Letava Whippy and a layup by freshman DeAngelique Waithe cut the lead to just seven points, 13-6 at 15:18.

From there, however, the Terriers came alive, forcing LIU into seven turnovers over the next eight minutes, and out-scoring the Blackbirds, 19-3, to take a 32-9 lead.

Sparked by Sophie Bhasin, LIU kept fighting until the end of the half. Over the final seven minutes, the Blackbirds outscored the Terriers, 12-2, cutting the lead to 34-21 at the break. And LIU's efforts continued into the second stanza, as the Blackbirds extended the run to 17-2, cutting SFBK's lead to 34-26.

Back-to-back baskets from junior Jolanna Ford helped LIU get even closer, 37-30 at the 14:17 mark. But it was the closest the Blackbirds would come. St. Francis regained control of the pace of the game, and would use a 15-4 run that spanned five minutes to put the game out of reach for LIU, taking a 55-36 lead with 8:09 on the clock. LIU matched the Terriers basket for basket in the final minutes of play, but it was too little, too late, and the margin was too big to overcome. St. Francis took the win in the end, 73-49.

BLACKBIRD BITS
• It was the third straight Battle of Brooklyn win for St. Francis. The Terriers shot 56.6% from the field, and 41.9% from long-distance.
• LIU had 24 points from the bench, including 11 from freshman Drew Winter, who led the team in scoring for the first time this season, and set a new career high. She also tied her career high with six rebounds.
• Senior Letava Whippy added seven points and eight rebounds, while Sophie Bhasin and Brianna Farris each chipped in seven points as well.