SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team came within two points of upending Bryant Monday night in the Chace Athletic Center, but turnovers cost the Blackbirds late in the game, and LIU fell to the Bulldogs, 57-53. Senior Shanovia Dove led all players in both points and rebounds, notching her fifth double double of the season, with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The matchup was close from the start. Though Bryant got on the board first, Dove would give the Blackbirds their first lead of the game at 8:43, when she hit a three pointer off a pass from classmate Brianna Farris. Though Bryant would answer with a layup, freshman Seneca Richards helped the Blackbirds take a two point lead her with three-pointer at 4:22. The two teams traded points from there, and finished the first quarter knotted up, 10-10.

The second period saw Bryant take off on an 11-3 run that pushed their lead to eight points, 21-13, but the Blackbirds battled back, in one of their more impressive offensive outputs of the season. Over the final six minutes of the half, LIU would outscore the home team 16-5. During the run, LIU went 4-for-7 from the field, and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Graduate student Dionne Coe hit a three that sparked the effort, and 30 seconds later, Dove made it back-to-back, hitting a three with 5:19 to play. Freshman Aja Boyd's first points of the game were big ones three minutes later, when her layup put LIU back on top, 25-24. Dove and Coe would finish the half going a collective 4-for-4 from the free throw line, and LIU took the lead into the break, 29-26.

In the second half, Coe hit another three pointer, and junior DeAngelique Waithe had a jumper that gave the Blackbirds their widest lead of the game, 34-28 with 6:23 on the clock. The Bulldogs started to find momentum, however, and over the next three and a half minutes, they would force three LIU turnovers, and shoot 5-for-8 from the field, in what would end up being an 11-4 run. The home team took the lead at the close of the third quarter on a three-point shot, 39-38.

Dove opened the fourth quarter hitting a jump shot that would put LIU on top once more, 40-39, and the two teams stayed close from there. Bryant's Alex Klein scored two quick transition layups that would widen Bryant's lead to 48-42 with 4:49 to play, but Waithe made back-to-back layups that brought LIU back within one point, 48-47 with 3:28 on the clock.

Bryant was able to widen the lead back up to six points just before the two minute mark, but LIU kept it close. Three pointers from Farris and Dove in the final two minutes had LIU in striking distance, 55-53 with 1:41 to play. But the Blackbirds had turnovers in the final minute of the game that would cost them their comeback attempt, and the Bulldogs pulled out the win, 57-53.  

NOTES FROM THE NEST

• Senior Shanovia Dove led all players with 21 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Dionne Coe finished with nine points, while DeAngelique Waithe had eight points and nine rebounds.
• The Blackbirds out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 34-30, but were outscored in the paint, 42-12.
• LIU turned the ball over 24 times in the game, with Bryant scoring 27 points off those turnovers.
• With the loss, LIU moves to 4-21, 3-11 in the Northeast Conference, while Bryant improves to 12-13 overall, and 7-7 in NEC action.
• Up next, the Blackbirds continue to battle for a shot in the playoffs, hosting Sacred Heart for senior day, Saturday, February 18 at 3 p.m.