BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team will host Central Connecticut State for a Monday night Northeast Conference matchup in the Steinberg Wellness Center, February 15 at 7 p.m. The Blackbirds (8-16, 6-7 NEC) will be looking to down the Blue Devils (9-15, 6-7 NEC) for their second-straight NEC game.
LAST TIME OUT• Most recently, LIU won the 23rd Annual Battle of Brooklyn in the Pope PE Center Saturday afternoon, defeating St. Francis Brooklyn in an overtime thriller, 65-62. The Blackbirds, who led for nearly the entire contest, notched their first win over St. Francis Brooklyn since 2012-13.
• Senior
Shanice Vaughan was named the Battle of Brooklyn MVP, with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the victory.
• Junior
Shanovia Dove led all scorers with 24 points, along with eight rebounds.
ALL-TIME SERIES• LIU holds the all-time series advantage between the two teams, 18-14, dating back to 1998.
• Last year, CCSU beat LIU three times - at home (75-70), in Brooklyn (68-64), and then as the top seed in the Northeast Conference tournament (72-51).
• Earlier this season, the Blackbirds avenged those losses, by beating the Blue Devils, 59-45 in Detrick Gymnasium.
• LIU was led by three players who scored in double-digits: junior
Shanovia Dove (19 points), sophomore
Stylz Sanders (12 points) and sophomore
Paris Jones (10 points). The trio helped LIU start the NEC season 2-0, the best beginning to a conference season for LIU women's basketball since 2009-10.
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS• CCSU comes into Monday's game at 9-15 overall, and 6-7 in the NEC. The Blue Devils have thus far played most of the conference evenly. Bryant and Sacred Heart both swept CCSU, but the Blue Devils have split with Robert Morris, and taken wins from FDU, Wagner, St. Francis Brooklyn, and Saint Francis U., twice.
• Sophomore guard Camden Musgrave leads CCSU with an 11.1 points per game average, followed by junior guard Aleah Epps (9.5 ppg) and senior forward TeJahne Malone (9.4 ppg). Malone is the team's leading rebounder, pulling down 7.0 rebounds per game.