BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team was able to snap an eight game-home losing streak Saturday afternoon in the Steinberg Wellness Center, as the Blackbirds avenged Monday's loss to Fairleigh Dickinson by beating the Knights, 65-62. Junior Brianna Farris tied her career-high with 20 points to lead LIU, while senior Shanice Vaughan had a double-double, with 10 points and 10 assists. With the win, LIU improves to 6-15 overall, 4-5 in Northeast Conference action.

Fairleigh Dickinson rolled in to the game and started on a strong note, going up 6-0 on the Blackbirds in the first three minutes of the game. Senior Jolanna Ford got LIU on the board with a layup at 7:04, and sparked a run for LIU. Over the next four minutes, the Blackbirds found their stride, scoring 12 unanswered points to take the lead, 12-6. FDU would close the distance down to four points with just over a minute left in the first period, but Farris drained a three with 33 seconds left to put LIU up, 17-10 at the end of period one.

The Knights would start to make up the difference in the second period, using a quick 7-0 run to come within one, 22-21. But Ford led LIU on a run once more, scoring six points as a part of a 10-2 LIU run. Ford's layup with 57 seconds left tin the half would put the Blackbirds up by nine, 34-25. The Knights' Kelsey Cruz scored five points in the final minute of play to help her team close the difference to 34-30 at the half.

LIU opened the second half on another run, this time a 10-4 span that gave the Blackbirds a 44-34 lead. But a scoring draught for LIU let the Knights back in the door. Over three minutes, FDU would score ten unanswered points to tie the game up, 44-44 with 2:51 left in the third period. A late Knights' three-pointer gave the visiting team the lead, 51-49, heading into the final period.

FDU continued to lead for the duration of the fourth period, until the Blackbirds started to make a run with just under five minutes left to play. Sophomore DeAngelique Waithe tied it up with a layup at 4:30, and the Blackbirds were in the game. Farris shifted momentum for the better at 3:40, when her driving layup and made foul shot put LIU up, 59-58. LIU would lead from there. Senior Shanice Vaughan hit a three-pointer just 30 seconds later that would prove to be the final dagger for the Knights, putting LIU up, 62-58. In the final three minutes, the Blackbirds were able to keep FDU at arms length, pulling out the win, 65-62, for their first home win of the season.

Up next, LIU hosts Sacred Heart, Monday, February 1 at 7 p.m.

NOTES FROM THE NEST
- LIU forced 22 FDU turnovers, scoring 19 points off of them
- Junior Brianna Farris tied her career high with 20 points.
- Senior Shanice Vaughan had 10 points and 10 assists in 40 minutes of play, for her second double-double of the season. Her 10 assists were the most for an LIU player since 2012.
- Senior Joanna Ford ended the game with 14 points, six rebounds, a career-high three assists and three steals.
- Sophomore DeAngelique Waithe had 11 points, six rebounds, two blocks and two assists.
- Junior Lily Abreu scored her first collegiate points in the win, finishing the game with three points, while sophomore Stylz Sanders had seven points and five rebounds.