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HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team will look to snap a three-game losing streak when it travels to Brooklyn, N.Y. to take on LIU Brooklyn in Northeast Conference, with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. The men's contest between the two sides will take place at 4:30 p.m.
 
The Knights (9-14, 4-8 NEC) were defeated on the road by second-place Sacred Heart, 80-48, last Tuesday to remain in 10th place in the conference standings.
 
Freshman Brianna Thomas (Baldwin, N.Y./St. John the Baptist Diocesan) led the way with a career-high 12 points, while sophomore Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Fellow classmate Stephanie Isaacs (Fair Haven, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven) chipped in 10 points.
 
SHU scored the first six points of the game and jumped out to a 10-4 lead before FDU scored seven unanswered points to go up 11-10 nearly six minutes into the contest.
 
A three-pointer from Isaacs gave the Knights a 16-13 advantage at the 10:27 mark of the first half, but it was all Pioneers after. SHU scored the next nine points, as the run eventually reached 26-9 to end the opening 20 minutes, giving the home team a 39-25 halftime lead.
 
The Pioneers then outscored FDU 43-25 in the second half to cruise to the 80-48 victory.
 
The biggest difference in the game was the SHU press, which forced the Knights into 26 turnovers. The Pioneers outscored FDU, 27-11, on points off turnovers, while dominating the paint, outscoring the Knights, 36-14.
 
SHU also outrebounded FDU, 42-31, including 20-9 on the offensive glass, leading to a 21-5 advantage in second-chance points.
 
The Knights shot 34.1 percent (15-of-44) from the field, including only 4-of-16 from three-point range, and 14-of-21 free throws, while the Pioneers connected on 44.1 percent (30-of-68) of their attempts and 17-of-22 from the charity stripe.

Livermore leads FDU in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (11.6 rpg) and field goal percentage (44.4 percent), while collecting 18 double-doubles on the season. Redshirt junior Danielle Pankey (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) adds 13.6 points per game, and Isaacs chips in 7.7 points per game and a team-best 42 three-pointers.

The Blackbirds (5-17, 2-9 NEC), who were picked to finish sixth in the Northeast Conference, currently sit in 11th place after falling at St. Francis Brooklyn, 70-62, on Feb. 9. Their contest scheduled at Central Connecticut State earlier in the week was postponed indefinitely due to Winter Storm Nemo. LIU's lone victories in conference play are against the Knights (70-62 at Stratis Arena on Jan. 21) and Saint Francis University at home, 61-43, on Feb. 4.
 
The Blackbirds are led by senior guard Krystal Wells, who is averaging 10.1 points per game, while leading the team in three-point shooting (33.3 percent, 41-of-123), from the free throw line (72.1 percent, 44-of-61) and in steals with 30.

Senior center Tamika Guz adds 10.0 points and a team-high 22 blocked shots, as she leads the team in field goal percentage (50.3 percent, 96-of-191), while junior forward Cleandra Roberts chips in 7.8 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. Redshirt sophomore guard Kelly Robinson has dished out a team-high 106 assists (4.8 apg).
 
The Knights and the Blackbirds will be meeting for the 62nd time in the all-time series, which dates back to the 1979-80 season.  FDU holds a 36-25 advantage but are 3-6 under Head Coach Pete Cinella, which includes a 64-53 loss at LIU in the 2008 Northeast Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
 
Earlier this season, the Blackbirds defeated the Knights at Stratis Arena, 70-62, on Jan. 21. At the time, it was LIU's first conference victory in six chances, while FDU fell to 8-9 overall and 3-3 in NEC play.
 
In a contest featuring four ties and five lead changes, the Knights started hot, as sophomore Miah Register (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) nailed three three-pointers over the first eight minutes to help FDU take a 21-10 lead with 11:13 to go before halftime.
 
After junior Desiree Crawford (Aurora, Ontario/Cardinal Carter Catholic)'s jumper kept the lead at double-digits (25-15) with 9:42 remaining in the opening half, LIU answered with a 17-4 spurt to take a 32-29 lead with 3:41 to go before halftime. Sophomore Tiffany Grant (Odenton, Md./Arundel) knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 32, but the Blackbirds would go into halftime leading 35-34.
 
Both sides shot at least 40 percent over the first 20 minutes. The Knights connected on 41.9 percent (13-of-31) of field goals, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc, while LIU shot 40 percent (14-of-35) from the field and outrebounded FDU, 27-17, and scored 10 points off seven Knights' miscues.
 
FDU started the second half on an 11-2 run, as Livermore scored eight points to give the Knights a 45-37 lead with 15:54 remaining in the contest. Still leading by eight at 47-39, the Blackbirds responded with a 15-1 spurt to go up six, 54-48, with 10:32 left in the game.
 
Senior Torrie Childs (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Central) made a nice one-handed shot on a spin move, and Pankey made two free throws to cut the lead to 54-52 with a little under eight minutes remaining, but it was the closest the Knights would get.
 
LIU extended the lead out to seven on two occasions before Register's fourth three-pointer of the game cut the lead to 61-57 with 2:33 to go. However, the Blackbirds eventually stretched the lead out to nine before nailing 5-of-6 free throws over the final minute to clinch the 70-62 victory over FDU.
 
The Knights struggled from the field in the second half, shooting only 30 percent (9-of-30), while LIU shot 45.8 percent (11-of-24). The visitors also made 12-of-17 free throws over the final 20 minutes.
 
Despite shooting a season-high 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from three-point range, FDU went to the free throw line 15 times and made 10, while finishing the game shooting 36.1 percent (22-of-61) from the field.
 
The Blackbirds shot 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from the floor and made 2-of-10 three pointers, while knocking down 18-of-28 free throws (64.3 percent). LIU also outrebounded the Knights, 45-34, and scored 15 points off 15 FDU turnovers. The Knights scored only nine points off 16 LIU turnovers.
 
Register led FDU with a career-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, while picking up a game-high three steals. Pankey added 14 points, and Livermore picked up her 14th double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with a game-high two blocks and two steals.
 
Guz scored 18 points to lead the Blackbirds. Wells added 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Roberts came off the bench to record a double-double with 12 points, a team-best 11 rebounds and three steals. Letava Whippy chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals for LIU.

Following Saturday's contest, FDU will return to Stratis Arena take on St. Francis Brooklyn on Monday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. The Terriers, who are currently in fifth place in the NEC, defeated the Knights in Brooklyn, 64-56, on Jan. 19.