BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team had a strong third quarter to take control of the game Thursday afternoon in the Steinberg Wellness Center, and withstood a late run from visiting Mount St. Mary's to win their Northeast Conference season opener, 63-60.

Three players scored in double digits in the win for LIU, led by senior Shanovia Dove, with 19. Freshman Aja Boyd added 15, while Dionne Coe chipped in 10.

LIU had the early lead in their NEC opener, using a 7-0 run to go up on the visitings, 10-4 with just over three minutes left to play in the first quarter. But the Mount used an 11-0 run to take the lead two minutes later, and would close out the first quarter with a 17-14 advantage.

The second quarter saw more scoring from Mount, as they would close the half on a 12-5 run. Alexis Carter would score five points, including a three that would give the Mountaineers their biggest lead of the half, 35-25 at 1:38. Dove would add a layup for LIU to close the gap to single digits, as Mount led, 35-27 at the break.

The Blackbirds came alive in the third quarter. LIU would go a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line, and force Mount into nine turnovers in the ten minute span. A three from freshman Seneca Richards sparked LIU's scoring in the stanza, but most of the action came in the final 90 seconds of the period. LIU would outscore Mount, 8-0 in that time, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, and snag three of their steals in that span. Sophomore Drew Winter capped the run with two made free throws at the 32 second mark, giving LIU the 44-41 lead headed into the fourth quarter.

Graduate student Dionne Coe made a layup to start the fourth stanza, and give the Blackbirds a five point cushion, 46-41 at 9:51. Mount was able to close the lead back down to three, but with 4:44 on the clock, Coe hit two free throws, and added a layup a minute later, helping the Blackbirds go up, 56-47. The nine point distance was crucial for LIU as the clock wound down. Over two minutes, the Mountaineers would outscore LIU, 10-2, coming within one point, 58-57 with 1:43 to play. Senior Shanovia Dove had a clutch three pointer at the 1:20 mark to give the Blackbirds some breathing room, and a minute later, freshman Aja Boyd made a turnaround layup to put LIU up, 63-57. Mount's Alexis Carter would make a three-pointer with nine seconds on the clock, but another late shot fell short, and the Blackbirds took the win, 63-60, to start the NEC season 1-0.

BLACKBIRD BITS
- LIU was able to limit turnovers to just 13 as a team, while forcing 21 for Mount St. Mary's, including nine in the third quarter.
- The Blackbirds shot 88 percent from the free throw line in the win, going 15-for-17 as a squad.
- Mount was led by a game-high 23 points from Alexis Carter, who also had a game-high 15 rebounds. Caroline Hummell added 13 points and seven boards, while Katrice Dickson rounded out the top scorers, with 11 points and four blocks on defense.
- Senior Shanovia Dove led LIU in scoring, with 19 points, along with seven rebounds.
- Freshman Aja Boyd added 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting, along with a team-high eight boards.
- Dionne Coe had 10 points, going 4-for-4 from the free throw line, along with two assists.
- Sophomore Drew Winter added eight points and four steals, while freshman Seneca Richards had seven points.
- Up next, the Blackbirds host Bryant on New Year's Eve, Saturday, December 31 at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs are coming off a loss to St. Francis Brooklyn to open the season, 63-47.