Box Score

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team was defeated by LIU Brooklyn, 56-40, in Northeast Conference action on Monday Night at the Steinberg Wellness Center. With the loss, the Knights fall to 2-25 (1-15 NEC) on the season, while the Blackbirds (9-18, 7-9 NEC) clinched a spot in the conference tournament with the victory.
 
Both teams kept things close in the first half, with two ties and four lead changes. The Knights used a 7-0 run to go up 18-16, but the Blackbirds countered with a 7-0 run of their own that resulted in a 23-22 lead.
 
FDU would score the final four points of the half to take a 26-23 lead into the break. Sophomore Kelsey Cruz (Chester, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) led the Knights with 12 points through the first 20 minutes.
 
The close play continued into the second half, with the score tied at 34-34 with 12:46 to go in regulation.
 
LIU would stay in the lead the rest of the way, but FDU would get as close as 39-38 with 9:57 to go. However, the Blackbirds closed out the second half on a 17-2 run.
 
The Knights shot just 26.7 percent from the field in the game and 1-of-7 from long range. Cruz was the lone Knight in double-figures with 16 points to go along with five steals. Sophomore Briana Thomas tallied eight points and senior Desiree Crawford (Aurora, Ontario/Cardinal Carter Catholic) added six.
 
Senior Cleandra Roberts led the Blackbirds with 19 points and seven rebounds on LIU's Senior Night. Freshman Aleisha Myers had 12 points for the Blackbirds, while sophomore Sophie Bhasin chipped in nine points. LIU finished the game with 14 steals, and went 10-of-13 from the free-throw line in the second half.
 
FDU will wrap up the regular season with two games at Stratis Arena, beginning with an afternoon tilt against Central Connecticut State on Saturday, March 1, with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m.