BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Senior Shanovia Dove sparked a second half surge for the LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team Monday afternoon in the Pope Physical education center, scoring 21 of her 31 points in the final two periods to help the Blackbirds beat St. Francis Brooklyn, 62-58. With the win, LIU (5-22, 4-12 NEC) keeps their Northeast Conference playoff hopes alive with two games left in the regular season.

Dove opened the game scoring back-to-back three pointers in the first two minutes of action to give LIU the early lead, 6-2. But the senior got whistled for two fouls in less than thirty seconds, and sat for the rest of the period. Over the rest of the first, four different Terriers would hit three-pointers as a part of a 12-4 run. Freshman Victoria Powell kept LIU in the game, tying up the score 11-11 with a layup at the 54-second mark, but another three for SFBK put the home team up, 14-11 at the end of the first period.

The Terriers widened the lead to as many as 10 points in the second period, though three pointers from Brianna Farris and Dionne Coe heled LIU keep it close. Dove returned late in the third period, and hit two free throws and a jumper to help the Blackbirds close the gap, but the home team led at halftime, 29-23.

The Terriers added to their lead coming out of the break, using a 6-0 run to take their widest lead of the game, 35-23. But at the 7:03 mark, Dove started to go to work, hitting a three-pointer that would spark a 10-0 run by the Blackbirds. Dove scored six of the 10 points, while Powell and freshman Gabrielle Caponegro added buckets that would help LIU cut the lead down to just two points, 35-33. The game was close from there. Though the Terriers would retake the lead, and lead by as many as five points, LIU never let them out of their sights. In the fourth period, freshman Aja Boyd hit two free throws, and had a steal on the next possession. She dished it to Coe, who made the layup, bringing the Blackbirds within one, 50-49 with 6:02 to play.

Boyd would tie it up just 20 seconds later with a layup, and the two teams continued to go back and forth until the final minutes of the period. SFBK would score four straight points to retake the lead, 55-53 with 2:06 to play, but 30 seconds later, Dove hit a three-point shot that would put LIU back on top, 56-66. On the next Terriers' possession, Caponegro had a huge offensive board for the Blackbirds, and LIU called a timeout.

On the next play, Coe was fouled as she took a three point shot, and went to the line with 40 seconds on the clock. The graduate student showed her cool, hitting all three shots under pressure to give LIU the four-point advantage, 59-55. St. Francis Brooklyn kept it interesting by hitting a three pointer on their next trip down the court to cut it to 59-58, with just 31 seconds to play.

LIU had the ball with a 30-second shot clock; Dove was given the ball, and dribbled to try and run the clock down. The Terriers double-teamed the senior and tried to trap her by the LIU bench, but she was able to drive to the basket and draw in the defense. She then kicked it out to the right wing, where Coe was waiting to knock down the three that would put the Blackbirds up, 62-58 with 4.5 seconds on the clock. St. Francis would call a timeout, but missed their final shot, and LIU took home the win and the hope of clinching the eighth spot in the postseason tournament.

NOTES FROM THE NEST

• Shanovia Dove finished with a career-high 31 points, including going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line.
• The Blackbirds finished the game shooting 86.4 percent from the free throw line, one of their best totals of season.
• Dionne Coe finished with 12 points, including six in the final 60 seconds of action, while freshman Aja Boyd had eight points, five rebounds and three blocks.
• The Blackbirds (4-12 NEC) are still one game back from the Terriers (5-11) for the final spot in the Northeast Conference tournament, with two games left to play. LIU still has Mount St. Mary's and Wagner left to play, while the Terriers will take on CCSU and the Mount in their final two contests.
• Up next, the Blackbirds travel to take on Mount St. Mary's, Saturday, February 25 at 1 p.m.