RIVERDALE, N.Y.— The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team dropped the 2018-19 season opener, 61-46 to Manhattan College on Tuesday night.
Freshman Brandy Thomas recorded a double-double in her first collegiate game with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore Jeydah Johnson led LIU in scoring with 16 points to go along with eight rebounds. Sophomore Ella Vaatanen contributed a career-high nine points and six rebounds.
LIU was first to get on the scoreboard as sophomore Tia Montagne recorded the first basket of the game early in the first quarter. Thomas followed that up shortly after with her first career bucket. The Jaspers turned up the intensity shortly after forcing a multitude of Blackbird turnovers before taking the opening quarter 19-5.
The Blackbirds would stay within reach in the second quarter with nine points to the Jaspers 11. Rookies Kiara Bell and Shyla Sanford grabbed their first collegiate points in the second quarter as Manhattan held a 30-14 lead into the half.
Out of the break, LIU found its footing as Johnson found her first baskets of the game to start things off. The Manhattan lead was cut down to 10 at the 3:38 mark by the Blackbirds but the home team kept the slight distance for the remainder of the period with a 43-32 lead. Johnson recorded 11 points in the third quarter as LIU out scored the Jaspers 18-13.
The fourth quarter saw the Blackbirds start out on a 6-3 run on a pair of baskets from Thomas to bring the score to 46-38. Manhattan would control pace the rest of the way, converting several times from the charity stripe for a 15-6 run the rest of the quarter to take the opening game of the season.
Turnovers plagued the Blackbirds in the loss, committing 35 turnovers as a team with Manhattan scoring 28 points off of them.
Up next, the Blackbirds host Army West Point on Friday, November 9 at 5:00 p.m. for the home opener at the Steinberg Wellness Center.
NOTES FROM THE NEST
- Thomas recorded LIU's first double-double since March 4, 2018
- Johnson has scored in double figures in her last three-games dating back to last season.
- Vaatanen tallied both career highs in minutes (31), points (9) and rebounds (6)
- Montagne dished out a career-high five assists for LIU.
- The Blackbirds would own the rebounding margin with a 42-36 advantage.