BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- A dominant start and a wild finish marked the LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team's 69-61 victory over the Bryant University Bulldogs Friday evening at the Steinberg Wellness Center.

With the victory, coupled with other results from across the Northeast Conference, the Blackbirds have clinched a spot in the NEC Tournament for the second time under third-year head coach Stephanie Del Preore.

Graduate transfer Denisha Petty-Evans led all scorers with 22 points while senior DeAngelique Waithe added 20 to give LIU a pair of 20-point scorers for the first time since November 17 at UMBC.

LIU (11-17, 7-10 NEC) set the tone from the start with arguably its best opening quarter of the year. The Blackbirds surged out of the gates with a 21-2 run and held Bryant (9-19, 8-9 NEC) to four points in the period, its lowest-scoring quarter of the season. LIU's +17 point differential in the first (21-4) tied the team's largest in any quarter this season (20-3, 4th, vs Saint Peter's, 11/14/17) and the Blackbirds held the Bulldogs to one field goal all period - with Bryant's lone basket coming with 34 seconds left in the quarter.

The Blackbirds kept the pressure on to begin the second, using a Petty-Evans jumper and three-pointer by sophomore Seneca Richards to push their lead above 20 points (26-4) at the 8:36 mark. Another triple, this time by Petty-Evans, with 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter, gave the Blackbirds their largest lead of the game, 42-17, and propelled the home team to a comfortable 42-19 halftime advantage.

Bryant regrouped in the second half and began to work its way back into the contest. The Bulldogs outscored LIU 18-11 in the third quarter, started the fourth on an 9-2 run to bring the Blackbirds' lead under double digits (55-46, 7:49 left) and got as close as five points (58-53) with 5:09 to go.

Waithe proved to be the closer down the stretch, scoring seven of LIU's final 11 points as the Blackbirds outscored Bryant 11-8 to keep their challenge at bay.

OTHER NOTES

• LIU's 42 first half points are the most the team has scored in an opening 20 minutes this season, surpassing their 40-point starts against Wagner College (January 13) and at Fairleigh Dickinson (February 24).
• Petty-Evans eclipsed the 20-point barrier for the first time since pouring in a career-high 29 at Central Connecticut on January 22. Waithe's last 20-point effort also came on a career night - 24 points against Fairleigh Dickinson on January 29.
• LIU shot 48.2 percent (27-56) against Bryant, setting a new season mark and passing their 47.1 percent performance at FDU on February 24.
• Petty-Evans also tied her career-high in assists with five, matching her total with Siena against Hartford on November 19, 2016. Freshman Tia Montagne also matched her best assist night, tying her four-assist game at UMBC.
• Senior Stylz Sanders scored 10 points, reaching that threshold for the third time this year and in back-to-back games for the fourth time in her career. She was also one rebound shy of her second double-double of the season.
• Waithe hit her career-best in blocks (4) for the fourth time this season. Montagne followed suit with two of her own.
• Petty-Evans reached her best total in steals (5) for the second time this year (vs FDU, 1/29) and third time in her career.

NEXT UP
LIU will close the regular season and honor graduating players Petty-Evans, Sanders, and Waithe on Sunday, March 5 in its 2 p.m. game against Central Connecticut.