Celebrating 80 Years of Service to LIU

The Long Island University women’s
basketball team looks to end Robert
Morris’ 16- game winning streak and in
the process stop the Colonials from
repeating as NEC Tournament
Champions.
Sunday’s championship game puts the
top offense in the NEC, Robert Morris,
against the top defense in the conference
and 10th best in the nation, Long Island.
The matchup also puts last season's MVP,
Valerie Nainima, against this season's
MVP, Sade Logan. The two are also first
and second in scoring in the conference
and Logan is second and Nainima 10th in
the nation at 25.4 and 20.4 points per
game respectively.
Robert Morris holds a 29-15 edge in the
all-time series after defeating Long Island
twice this season. The Colonials beat the
Blackbirds, 76-68, on Feb. 9, in Moon
Township, Pa. Nainima scored 20
points to go with her nine
rebounds and five assists.
Mikaelar Whippy added 10
and Justine Stevenson had 11
points. Nainima also
scored her 1,000th career
point during the game.
Logan led all scorers
with 29 points on 13-of-18
shooting. Chinata Nesbit
added a double-double
with 20 points 10 rebounds
and a game high three
steals. Kendra Williams
had 10 points for the
Sports
Blackbirds Stun No. 1 Ranked Quinnipiac;
By Ria Charles
Assistant Sports Editor
The Long Island University women’s
basketball defeated Fairleigh Dickinson
and Quinnipiac during NEC Tournament
weekend to earn a spot in the NEC
Championship game for the third time in
team history.
Following last year’s devastating firstround
exit to St. Francis (N.Y.), the
Blackbirds were determined to stage a
turnaround and as tournament host, they
looked to use the home court to their
advantage.
“We have to win this season…I mean
the whole thing, not just the regular season
but the NEC Tournament,” Valerie
Nainima said at the beginning of the season.
“The way we went out last season
was just heartbreaking so it’s all out this
season. No holding back.”
So far the Blackbirds haven’t held anything
back, putting it all out on the court
this weekend and looking to do the same
in the championship game.
Long Island earned its place in the
championship with a 67-63 win over top
ranked Quinnipiac in the semifinal round.
The Blackbirds had four players in double
figures with Nainima leading the way,
scoring 23 points. Chelsi Johnson added
12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds
for her third double-double of the season.
The game started slowly offensively for
both teams with the Quinnipiac taking
five minutes to score its first points and
Long Island only scoring four in the same
timeframe. Things picked up after that for
both teams with four ties and eight lead
changes.
The eighth and final lead change of the
game came with 0.7 seconds left in the
first half. With a 25-25 tie, Connie James
inbounded the ball to Johnson.
Quinnipiac had good ball denial on
Nainima but Johnson made them pay.
Grabbing the ball at her feet, she tossed up
a 3-point attempt. The ball went high in
the air and, as the clock expired, swished
Seawanhaka
into the basket to give the Blackbirds the
28-25 half-time lead.
The lead never reached double digits
for either team during the game, but after
the Blackbirds went up by nine with less
than three minutes left in regulation the
Bobcats mounted a late comeback. A 3pointer
by Erin Kerner with 49 seconds
remaining cut the lead to 64-61.
With the game on the line, Nainima,
one of the top free-throw shooters in the
nation, missed four consecutive foul
Colonials.
Robert Morris went up by as many as
19 points early in the second
half but LIU fought back
with a Nainima 3-pointer
cutting the lead to seven
with less than one minute
remaining. The Colonials
have won the past three
meetings dating back to last
season.
In the most recent
game on March 1,
Robert Morris went
up early using a 16-2
run in the first half
and leading by as
many as 15 in both
halves. Once again,
Long Island cut the
shots, keeping the Bobcats
in the game. Then she
made her next three freethrows
to put the
Blackbirds up by two possessions
for the victory.
The win ends a threegame
losing streak against
the Bobcats dating back to
last season.
Sara Oblak scored 13
points and pulled down
five rebounds while
Mikaelar Whippy had 12
points on a perfect 5-for-5
shooting and grabbed six
rebounds. James had a
team high eight assists and
eight rebounds.
Kerner lit up the
Blackbirds for 37 points on
53.8 percent shooting. She
also had six rebounds and
three steals. Krystal Lazos
added 12 points and
Kathleen Neyens had a
game high 11 rebounds.
The weekend started against Fairleigh
Dickinson, with the Blackbirds favored..
The ladies didn’t disappoint beating the
Knights, 64-53, in the quarterfinal round
of the Tournament.
In another tough offensive start, things
picked up for the both teams with the
Blackbirds striking first. Anna
Dziadkowiec hit a 3 to give Long Island a
one-point lead, Fairleigh Dickinson came
right back hitting a three of its own to go
Women’s Basketball Hopes Third Time
By Ria Charles
Assistant Sports Editor
The Blackbirds nech goes nuts as the clock ticks down to their upset victory over No. 1 Quinnipiac.
(Photo Credit: David Gardiner/www.davidgg.com)
Where: Moon Township, PA
When: Sun., March 16 at 3:00 p.m.
Previous Meeting: RMU 63, LIU 55
lead down, this time to six, with less than
one minute remaining but was unable to
overcome the early drought, losing 63-55.
Although the Blackbirds played good
defense, they were ice cold offensively.
Nainima led the team with 21 points and
10 rebounds for her third career doubledouble.
Chelsi Johnson had a game-high
12 rebounds to go with eight points.
Chinata Nesbit led the colonials with 21
points, Sade Logan added 17 and Angela
Pace scored 10 points and grabbed nine
boards.
The last time the Long Island beat
Robert Morris, Whippy was the leading
scorer and she will be the key for the
Blackbirds on Sunday. Not only is her
offense much needed but she will likely
be the one guarding Logan, who went off
for 38 points in the Colonials’ semifinal
March 12, 2008 Page 20