Women’s Basketball Cruises to Win against St. Thomas

By Michael Otero
Sports Editor

On Saturday, Jan. 10, the women’s basketball team (8-5) played host to the Spartans from St. Thomas Aquinas College (6-9). The East Coast Conference tilt saw the Pioneers dominate, led mainly by junior center Nyasia Davis, who scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds on route to their 71-57 victory.

From the beginning of the contest, the Pioneers had the Spartans’ number. They jumped out to an early 6-0 lead before the Spartans got on the board. That was the closest the visitors came in the first half, as the Pioneers stepped on the gas shortly thereafter. The Pioneers began to slowly build their lead through tough defense and timely buckets on the offensive side. LIU pushed their lead to 14 when senior guard Ashley Castle nailed a three pointer late in the first half. At the break, the Pioneers were up 38-28.

As the second half got under way, the Spartans got a surge of energy and began to trim the Pioneer lead. Leading 40-35, and with the momentum hanging in the balance, the Pioneers put some distance between themselves and the Spartans, thanks to senior guard Chelsea Williams, who drained an important three point field goal. That was the closest the Spartans would come as the Pioneers did not let up, pushing their lead to 20 at one point via a three pointer from junior guard Quanisha Ratley. The Pioneers cruised to a 71-57 victory.

For the game, Williams led all scorers with 22 points, while also grabbing eight boards, dishing out eight assists, and accumulating three steals. Castle provided the spark off the bench with nine points and three assists. For the Spartans, it was a team effort in the scoring department, as their highest scorer had a mere 14 points. The Spartans shot just over 37% from the field, while the Pioneers shot well over 45%, explaining the big difference on the scoreboard.

Head women’s basketball coach Deirdre Moore and her squad are back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 14, when they welcome to the Molloy College Lions to Brookville, N.Y. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.