BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team closes out January with a pair of games at home, beginning with Saturday's matchup against Sacred Heart.
QUICK HITS
- LIU comes into Saturday's contest after a thrilling, 61-54 come-from-behind victory over Central Connecticut on Monday evening. Graduate transfer Denisha Petty-Evans led LIU with a new career-high of 29 points, besting the mark of 27 she set just two days prior against Bryant. The New Jersey native made a new career-high 11 shots on 21 attempts and connected on half of her three-pointers (5-for-10) and both her free throws.
- For her efforts last week, Petty-Evans was named NEC Co-Player of the Week on Wednesday. She averaged 28.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 60% from the field, 56.3% from three-point range, and a perfect 100% from the line against Bryant and CCSU.
- LIU dished out nine assists and set a new season-low with seven turnovers against Central, moving to 4-0 this year when recording more assists than turnovers in the process.
- Petty-Evans (17.2 ppg), freshman Jeydah Johnson (13.5 ppg), senior DeAngelique Waithe (8.9 rpg) and redshirt junior Drew Winter (5.3 apg) continue to pace the Blackbirds, with LIU sporting a top-5 conference performer in every category (Petty-Evans: 3rd in scoring; Waithe: 4th in rebounds; Winter: 1st in assists).
- Winter's current assist average of 5.3 per game gives the Blackbirds a player ranked in the NCAA top-50 (42nd). She was the first Blackbird over the last 20 seasons to post double-digit assists in back-to-back games (10 at Saint Francis U., 12 vs Wagner).
- Sacred Heart has lost three straight NEC games after splitting their first four. LIU trails SHU 15-21 in their all-time series and will be looking to break a five-game losing streak against the Pioneers. The Blackbirds last defeated SHU on January 12, 2015 (77-74 in overtime).
- SHU is led by Katherine Haines (14.5 ppg, 9.9 rpg) and Candice Leatherwood (3.5 apg).
NEXT UP
LIU will face Fairleigh Dickinson at home on Monday, January 29 at 7 p.m.