Blackbirds Win Second Straight; Defeat Fairleigh Dickinson, 67-65

(boxscore)

2/13/06 -- Junior Marquita Thompson (Garland, Texas) posted her first career double-double to lead Long Island University (10-12, 8-5 Northeast Conference) to a 67-65 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson (7-15, 4-10) at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center on Monday evening.

Thompson led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Junior Sara Oblak (Skofja Loka, Slovenia) and senior Amber Wirth (Hastings, Minn.) also netted double-figure points with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

LIU enjoyed a seven-point lead (19-12) with 12:07 showing following a three-pointer from the top of the key by Thompson. The Knights, however, went on a 5-0 run capped off by a three-pointer from Krissy Suckow to pull within one (19-18). Thompson converted a conventional three-point play to push the Blackbirds to a three-point (30-27) advantage at the 4:30 mark.

Jennifer Walkling converted one-of two free throws to cut the LIU lead to two but the Blackbirds never lost steam as Wirth hit at trey at the halftime buzzer to give LIU a 37-30 lead at the break.

Three consecutive baskets from Oblak in the second stanza gave LIU a 12-point edge, its largest of the game. FDU would follow with an 8-2 spurt, cutting the lead to four (48-44) with 10:55 on the clock.

Oblak nailed a jumper to push the Blackbirds lead back to double-figures (56-46). The Knights hung tough, and trailed by three (65-62) with 18 seconds remaining. After senior Polona Oberc (Ljubljana, Slovenia) and junior Sonya Coleman (Toledo, Ohio) split a pair of free throws apiece, FDU’s Megan Kirkland drilled a triple as time expired but it was not enough as the Blackbirds extended their win streak to two.

The Knights were led by Walkling with 16 points and 15 boards.

The Blackbirds welcome neighborhood rival St. Francis (N.Y.) to the Wellness, Recreation, and Athletic Center on Thursday, Feb. 16 for the first game of a men’s and women’s doubleheader. Tip-off is at 5:00 p.m. and will be immediately followed by the men’s game against Robert Morris.