SUNDAY RESULTS
MILLSBORO, DEL. - The LIU Brooklyn women's bowling team went 2-1 on the final day to take 7th place overall at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawk Classic on Sunday. The Blackbirds (31-18) faced three ranked teams in the bracketed playoff and finished with a 187.8 team average and an 8-5 record in the three-day event.
Three Blackbirds led the team in the event with 200+ averages with senior Lauren McKowen just edging out and freshman Kellie Frain and Tyler Karpinecz for the top spot on the team. McKowen ranked 14th overall with a 201.8 aveerage. Frain (201.2) ranked 15th individually, while Karpinecz (201.0) stood 50th in total pins (804) in only four games. Senior Alyssa Balicki followed in the individual rankings, ranking 23rd with a 193.2 average. Lefty Kristina Genova was next at 181.4, which put her 40th on the individual list.
Similar to Friday's start, the Blackbirds began the last day against No. 18 North Carolina A&T on Sunday morning, this time in a 7th vs. 8th place bracket match in a best-of-four baker match. LIU won the first two games in convincing fashion, 186-166 and 230-175. Then NC A&T put together their best game topping the Blackbirds 225-180 in game number three to cut the lead in half. But LIU threw a 202 and a 196 in the fourth and fifth to close out the match, 4-1 and climb up the bracket ladder for match number two.
In the second match against No. 12 Delaware State, the Blackbirds dropped the first game by 10 pins, but bowled a 193 ad 210 to win games two and three of the best-of-seven. Then the Hornets came back to sting the Blackbirds with three straight 200+ games and pull out the match 4-2.
Lastly came a rematch with the Tulane, whom the Blackbirds faced in the last match also on Saturday and won by 100 pins. This time in a best-of-seven baker, LIU won games one and three, but lost games two, four and five. Needing a pair of wins to move ahead of the Green Wave, the Blackbirds won game six 192-169 and the final game 188-182 to hold a winning record in Sunday's playoffs.
ON THE LANES NEXT
The Blackbirds are off for the Thanksgiving weekend and then conclude the first part of the season with the first NEC meet of the season. Hosted by Duquesne in Pittsburgh, Pa. the event, held on December 2-3 at the Sims Lanes in Beaver Falls, Penn. will be the first time this season that all seven Northeast teams will be together.