BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. - Friday night was rivalry night on Remsen Street, as the St. Francis Brooklyn women's basketball team (13-8, 9-4 NEC) hosted LIU (5-15, 5-7 NEC) on Friday night for the 29th Annual Battle of Brooklyn.
As they have for six consecutive years, the Terriers (13-8, 9-4 NEC) knocked off the Sharks (5-15, 5-7 NEC), scoring an 82-73 victory. SFBK has now taken nine of the last ten Battle of Brooklyn contests.
Isabella Posset and Alyssa Fisher earned co-MVP honors on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a pair of unfruitful trips down the floor to start, the Terriers got their first points of the night off a short jumper from Alyssa Fisher. Ally Lassen then cut to the rim, received the ball from Fisher and converted the layup to tie the game. LIU's Emaia O'Brien, who played well against the Terriers in their last meeting, scored five straight points to make it 10-5 LIU with 6:27 to play.
Alyssa Fisher got the Terriers back level with her first three pointer of the night, and SFBK took its first lead when Khaleah Edwards made a long two pointer. The Terriers went up by five with just under a minute to go in the first when Zharia Hutchinson made a layup from under the basket.
In the second period, Fruzsina Horvath made a three pointer to put the Terriers up 22-16, and Posset made the lead eight on the next Terriers possession, as she drove to the basket for a layup.
Eszter Varga picked up her fourth assist of the game, dishing to Hutchinson for an easy layup to make the score 31-23 with 4:03 to play. The hosts took a double digit lead coming out of a timeout when Posset located Hutchinson wide open near the basket while losing her balance.
LIU found their range from three point distance in the late stages of the half, going 4-5 to stop the Terriers lead from growing any further, and the teams went into the break with the score 43-36 SFBK.
The home team scored four straight points coming out of the break thanks to Eszter Varga and Alyssa Fisher to take a 47-36 lead. LIU brought their hot shooting with them out of the locker room as Shyla Sanford drained a long ball to ge the Sharks within six. Posset had the answer, as she received the ball from Khaleah Edwards and drained a triple of her own.
The Sharks made it a four point game with five straight points, and coming out of a timeout Sanford made her fourth three ball of the night to cut the Terrier lead to one, 52-51, with 3:30 to play. St. Francis took a slim three point lead into the final period.
With 7:05 to go in regulation, Fisher dished inside to Ally Lassen, who turned and converted a hook shot over Tayra Eke to put her team up 69-63. Fisher drove through the Sharks defense and found Posset in the corner who drained a three ball, one of five she made on the night, with less than six minutes to play.
LIU went on a 7-0 run to tie the game with 1:30 to play with contributions from Mia Perkins, Brandy Thomas and O'Brien.
With just over a minute to play, the Terriers worked the ball around the perimeter. Alyssa Fisher exploited a weak spot in the LIU defense and dished to Fruzsina Horvath who made tough contested shot to put SFBK back up two.
The Sharks had the ball with under 50 seconds to go and a chance to tie, but Isabella Posset drew a charge to get the ball back for her team. The hosts would go on to claim a seven point victory.
TEAM LEADERS
Isabella Posset led the way with 22 points on 7-13 shooting from the field. She set a number of personal season highs, including points, field goals made and three point field goals made.
Alyssa Fisher was the Terriers second leading scorer with 18 points, which she made on 6-8 shooting. She also had four assists.
Khaleah Edwards led the team in assists with seven and played a team high 37 minutes.
NEXT UP: The Terriers are off until Thursday when they host Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m. The game can streamed on NEC Front Row.
