BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The LIU Post women's basketball team earned a much-needed victory against Mercy College, 94-79 on Senior Day inside the Pratt Recreation Center.
The Pioneers honored its five members of the Class of 2019,
Kyla Formey,
Taylah Hudson,
Robyn Francis,
Sasha Patterson, and
Shannon Doyle, prior to tip off, and the same starting five helped guide the Green and Gold to a crucial East Coast Conference victory to improve to 9-7 in league play. The Pioneers hold a one-game lead over the University of Bridgeport for the No. 5 spot in the postseason standings, and are just behind Roberts Wesleyan College for the No. 4 spot and a home playoff game with one regular season game remaining on the schedule.
Francis netted a game and career-high 24 points in her final regular season game inside the Pratt Recreation Center, shooting 8-of-12 (.667) from the field and 2-for-3 (.667) from beyond the three-point arc. Francis also dished out a team-best five assists and added three steals on the day. Patterson dropped in 23 points on 9-of-12 (.750) shooting, collecting 12 rebounds for her 15th double-double of the season. Doyle and Hudson chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively to round out the double-figure scorers.
LIU Post held a huge 50-29 edge in rebounding on the day and assisted on 19 of its 34 made baskets. 18 offensive rebounds helped the Pioneers put home 28 second chance points to just 12 for the Mavericks.
After a big first quarter that saw the Pioneers take a 21-9 lead after 10 minutes, the Pioneers and Mavericks battled to a much more evenly matched second quarter, with LIU Post holding just a six-point lead (44-38) at the half. A 9-2 run to begin the second half set the tone for the rest of the afternoon, as the Pioneers stretched the lead to as many as 17 points (90-73) during the fourth quarter.
The Pioneers close out the regular season on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in the final regular season chapter of the Battle of the Boulevard rivalry with neighboring New York Institute of Technology at 5:00 p.m.