Red-Hot Shooting Pushes Blackbirds Past First-Place Sacred Heart, 68-63

(boxscore)

1/30/06 -- Sophomore Mikaelar Whippy (Suva, Fiji) netted a career-best 22 points in leading the Long Island University women's basketball team to an exciting 68-63 Northeast Conference victory over previously-unbeaten Sacred Heart on Monday evening.

Junior Marquita Thompson (Garland, Texas) also topped her career-high with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. The Blackbirds (7-11, 5-4 NEC), who have won three straight, converted on 56.8 percent from the floor and tied a season-high with 10 steals.

With the game tied at 63-63 with 58 seconds remaining, Thompson's left-handed hook in the lane gave LIU a two-point advantage. The Pioneers (16-3, 9-1 NEC) had an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead with a three-pointer, but junior Sonya Coleman (Toledo, Ohio) came up with a game-clinching steal, her seventh of the game. Senior Amber Wirth (Hastings, Minn.) converted on three-of-four free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory.

Sacred Heart jumped out of the gate early, as a layup by Jasmine Walker gave the team its largest advantage of the the first half, 15-11, with 10:44 remaining.

Whippy would then take over on offense for LIU, converting all three of her three-point field goal attempts in a span of 2:53. The final one at the 5:21 mark gave the Blackbirds a one-point lead which they would maintain until halftime.

A 14-6 run after the break gave the Pioneers their biggest lead, 45-38, as Amanda Pape scored six of her team's points in the run.

A layup and a two free-throws by Whippy cut the lead to one. A layup by junior Brittani Kozik (Belle Plaine, Iowa) would give the Blackbirds their first lead since intermission, 49-48.

With the game tied at 57 and 3:38 left in the game, Whippy again took control, converting back-to-back three-point plays which gave LIU a 63-59 lead.

A jumper by Nicolle Rubino and a transition bucket by Kerri Burke tied the game and set up the final sequence.

Coleman also finished in double-figures with 10 points for the Blackbirds. Walker ended with a team-best 20 points for Sacred Heart.

LIU will look to make it four consecutive conference wins as it travels to Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2:00 p.m.