BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team had its first win of the season Sunday afternoon, beating Long Island opponent Stony Brook in the Steinberg Wellness Center, 58-48. Senior Shanovia Dove led LIU in the effort, with 23 points and eight rebounds.

The visiting team got on the board early in the game, scoring a three on the first possession, but the Blackbirds answered with a bang. Freshman Aja Boyd had a layup to get the home team on the board, and that sparked a run by the Blackbirds. A steal by Dove and a fast break layup at 8:22 gave LIU the 4-3 lead, just two points of a 10-0 run that the Blackbirds went on. Freshmen Gabrielle Caponegro and Victoria Powell also go in on the action, as LIU took the 10-3 lead with 5:34 to play in the first quarter. Stony Brook would go on a small run of its own to cut the lead to two, but Dove drained a three pointer to put LIU back up by five points.

The Blackbirds' small lead carried into the second period, when junior Stylz Sanders helped give LIU some breathing room. The combo guard converted a traditional three-point play, and moved the lead to 23-17 at 8:21. The three points were the first of nine unanswered points that LIU used to go up, 29-18 with 5:39 left to play in the half. Though Stony Brook would keep it close, a made free throw by Dionne Coe in the final two minutes gave the Blackbirds an eight-point cushion heading into the break, 32-24.

The Seawolves came out strong in the second half, using an 8-2 run to come within striking distance, 34-32 at the five-minute mark. But Boyd hit a layup just 20 seconds later to quell momentum. In the final two minutes of the quarter, Coe hit a three-pointer that widened LIU's lead back up to double digits, 45-34. In the fourth quarter, Dove hit a jumper, and Boyd made a free throw to give the Blackbirds their widest lead of the game, 48-34 with just over eight minutes left in regulation. A late three-pointer by Stony Brook cut the lead to just six points with 37 seconds left on the clock, but freshmen Aja Boyd, Gabrielle Caponegro and Victoria Powell would go a combined 4-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds of the game to clinch the win for the Blackbirds, 58-48.

NOTES FROM THE NEST

• The Blackbirds had one of their strongest all-around performances of the season. The win saw the most points for LIU so far this season (58), as well as the most field goals made (21) and the most free throws made (13). LIU also had their fewest fouls of the year (15) and the lowest amount of turnovers this season (13).
• Senior Shanovia Dove led LIU with 23 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two assists.
• Freshman Aja Boyd had 11 points, while classmate Gabrielle Caponegro had eight rebounds, five points, three blocks and two steals. Graduate student Dionne Coe added eight points in the win.
• Up next, the Blackbirds head to Seton Hall for a mid-week, midday game against the Pirates, Wednesday, December 7 at 11:30 a.m.