BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team will travel just over a mile up the road to take on St. Francis Brooklyn this weekend, in the 23rd annual Battle of Brooklyn. The Blackbirds and the Terriers will face off for borough bragging rights this Saturday, February 13 at 1 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT• The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team dropped a tough game on the road Monday night in the Pitt Center, falling to Sacred Heart, 71-47. The Blackbirds struggled offensively in the loss, and costly turnovers in the first half put the game out of reach early on for LIU. With the loss, the Blackbirds are now 7-16 overall, and 5-7 in Northeast Conference play.
• Junior
Shanovia Dove led LIU with 16 points, while senior
Jolanna Ford had 11 points and 13 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Sophomore
DeAngelique Waithe added eight rebounds and six points, while junior
Brianna Farris had nine points.
ALL-TIME SERIES• The two Brooklyn women's basketball programs have been facing off in a rivalry that dates back to 1975.
• The Blackbirds lead the all-time series 47-27, but recent history's favor has fallen on the Terriers. SFBK has won the last seven match-ups, including sweeping LIU last season. Last year, the Terriers took the 22nd annual Battle of Brooklyn title, 73-49.
• LIU also holds the all-time Battle of Brooklyn advantage by a slim margin, at 12-10.
• Earlier this year, the two teams faced off on a snowy Saturday afternoon in the Steinberg Wellness Center. The Blackbirds, hampered by injury, had only six players take the court, in a game that would go to the Terriers, 71-51.
Stylz Sanders led LIU with 14 points, while
Brianna Farris had 13 points and a career-high five steals. Senior
Shanice Vaughan had 12 points and three assists, while
DeAngelique Waithe tied her career-high with 12 rebounds and three steals.
SCOUTING THE TERRIERS• St. Francis enters the weekend at 5-18 overall, and 2-10 in NEC action. The Terriers picked up their second NEC win of the season Monday night, beating FDU, 88-78.The team shot 42.9 percent from the field in the win, led by Leah Fechko's 25-point, 13-rebound effort.
• Fechko leads the team, averaging 14.9 points per game, and she's also the team's top rebounder, pulling down 9.2 rebounds per game. The senior leads the team in steals, with 57 (good for 2.6 per game, the top total in the league), and assists, averaging 3.7 per game. She also leads the conference in minutes played, and assist/turnover ratio (1.23).
• Two young forwards are next for SFBK, as sophomore Maria Palarino added 8.6 points per game, while freshman Alex Delaney is averaging 8.1 points per game.