Women's Basketball Comes Up Short at Bloomfield, 79-74
Box Score BLOOMFIELD, N.J. (Nov. 23, 2013) - A strong second-half effort wasn't enough as the LIU Post women's basketball team fell to Bloomfield, 79-74, on Saturday in Bloomfield, N.J.
Senior guard
Kiki Sears (Hampton, Va.) led all players with a 24-point showing, while tallying four assists, two rebounds, one block and one steal. Senior guard
Alexis Peters (Dorchester, Mass.) added 13 points and four rebounds.
The Pioneers (2-2) found themselves down early, as the Deacons (3-2) outscored LIU Post 16-7 off turnovers, 9-1 on second-chance points and 22-16 in the paint. Bloomfield also shot 54.5 percent from the field in the first half, including a 45.5 clip from three-point territory.
With Bloomfield leading 24-16 with 12:12 to go in the opening half, the Deacons continued their offensive surge when they extended their lead to 16 at the 2:55 mark on a Tierra Scott lay-up. The Pioneers would end the half on a 6-2 spurt, but trailed 44-33 heading into halftime.
The Deacons came out hot in the second half, going on a 10-3 run to open an 18-point cushion with 16:23 to go in the game. Ivettlis Castro drained a three off an assist from Morgan Taylor to give Bloomfield their largest lead of the contest. The Pioneers battled back, however, going on a 14-4 run, capped off by a Sears three to get within eight at 58-50.
With the green and gold trailing 75-65 with 2:34 remaining, Sears hit another three that sparked an 8-2 run to get the Pioneers within three at 77-74, before Castro hit two free throws with 13 seconds left to close out the game.
Senior forward
Shayna Gatling (Baldwin, N.Y.) chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Junior guard
Chelsea Williams (Copiague, N.Y.) had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss.
Head Coach
Deirdre Moore and the Pioneers are back in action after the holiday break at home, as they begin East Coast Conference play against NYIT on Dec. 3. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.