Blackbirds Survive Comeback Attempt, Defeat NJIT 60-51

(boxscore)

1/6/07 -- After getting off to a hot start and taking a 16-point lead into halftime, the Long Island University women’s basketball team thwarted a second-half comeback bid by New Jersey Institute of Technology and held on to win, 60-51. For the second consecutive game, four Blackbirds scored in double figures with junior Mikaelar Whippy (Suva, Fiji) and freshman Valerie Nainima (Suva, Fiji) tying for game-high honors with 12 points each.

Long Island (9-5) earned its seventh non-conference victory of the season, setting the program record for most out-of-conference wins. The previous record was six, set in the 1991-92 season.

The Blackbirds came out firing to start the game. Long Island scored the game’s first seven points and held the Highlanders scoreless for the first five minutes of play. The Blackbirds would see their lead balloon to 19 when they took a 23-4 advantage with just less than nine minutes to play in the first frame. Long Island took a 30-14 edge into the break after shooting 50 percent from the floor. NJIT shot a slim 19 percent in the first half.

The Highlanders (3-11) turned things around coming out of the locker room, scoring 13 of the half’s first 21 points to shave the Long Island lead to nine. The Highlanders would whittle their deficit down to as few as six points with seven minutes to play, but that would be as close as they would get.

Seniors Brittani Kozik (Belle Plaine, Iowa) and Marquita Thompson (Garland, Texas) each netted 10 points for the Blackbirds, who shot 45 percent for the game. Jill Dickinson was the lone NJIT player in double figures with 11 points. The Highlanders shot 38 percent from the floor for the game, including a torrid 62 percent in the second stanza.

Long Island won the battle of the boards, 34-28, led by five from Thompson. NJIT’s Ali Baumlin snared six caroms to lead all players.

The Blackbirds return to action on Monday, Jan. 8 when they host Mount St. Mary’s at 4:00 p.m.