BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team won its second game of the season in the Steinberg Wellness Center Saturday afternoon, defeating Northeast Conference foe Mount St. Mary's for the second time this year, 53-50. With the win, the Blackbirds improve to 7-15 overall, and 5-6 in NEC play. The game was LIU's annual Play4Kay event, as well as Alumni Day, and a celebration of Girls and Women in Sports Day. The Blackbirds had two members of the LIU family join them on the bench as guest coaches for Saturday's win: Lorrie Zurich and Kathy Milinkovich, pictured above.

The game was closely contested from the first whistle, as neither team ever led by more than five points, and the lead changed hands 16 times. In the early goings, however, it seemed like the visiting team would be taking control. After senior Shanice Vaughan opened scoring with a layup just 20 seconds into action, Mount St. Mary's went on a 6-0 run to take the lead, 6-2. From there, the visitors used a three pointer to widen the lead up to 9-4, in what would end up being the widest lead of the day. A minute later, junior Brianna Farris would hit a three pointer for LIU that helped the Blackbirds keep it close. LIU would eventually retake the lead briefly on a jump shot from sophomore Stylz Sanders at 3:22, 12-11, but the Mountaineers stayed right with LIU, and jumper as the buzzer expired gave Mount the 16-14 advantage at the end of the first.

The second quarter was a low-scoring one, as the two teams would combine for only 20 points. Junior Shanovia Dove gave LIU the lead at the end of the period, with her three-pointer to put LIU up, 26-24.

Early in the third period, Mount managed to tie the game back up and re-take the lead twice, but a layup by Dove at the five minute mark put LIU back on top, 33-31. The Blackbirds led for the rest of the third period, and Vaughan helped LIU widen its lead to three with a jumper to end the period, 41-38.

The Mountaineers made a late run to start the fourth quarter, going on a 6-0 streak that would give them a 44-41 lead with just over six minutes left to play. But LIU, led by Vaughan, answered with a 6-0 run of its own to go back up, 47-44. In the final 90 seconds of play, LIU would shoot 4-for-6 from the free throw line to seal the win, beating the Mountaineers, 53-50.

Senior Shanice Vaughan led LIU with 16 points, along with six rebounds, and a team-high three assists and three steals. Junior Brianna Farris added 13 points, while junior Shanovia Dove contributed 12 points in her first game back from injury. Sophomore DeAngelique Waithe led LIU on the boards with 11 rebounds, along with two steals.

Up next, the Blackbirds hit the road to take on Sacred Heart, Monday, February 8 at 7 p.m.