Purple Knights Fall In ECC Women's Basketball Opener To LIU Post, 75-69

Bridgeport, Conn. – The University of Bridgeport women's basketball team dropped a tough East Coast Conference decision on Wednesday evening as the visiting LIU Post Pioneers overcame a ten-point second half deficit en route to a 75-69 victory over the Purple Knights. Bridgeport drops to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the ECC; while LIU Post ups its record to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play.   

The two teams started the game trading baskets until Bridgeport's Tiara Aziz (Sr., Easton, Pa.) converted a three-point play as she was fouled on a layup and converted the free throw to give UB a 20-18 lead with 11:21 remaining in the first half. From that play on, the Purple Knights would go on a 15-2 run to open up a 35-20 lead, their largest advantage of the game, with 2:39 to play before the half. LIU Post went on a 12-3 run of their own to close out the first half to make the score 38-32 in favor of Bridgeport at the break.

Coming out of the half, UB extended its lead to 10 points, 53-43, with 14:13 left in the game. However, LIU Post would go on another run to eventually tie the game up at 55-55 at the 10:38 mark in the second half. Over the next several minutes the teams would trade the lead back and forth, until LIU Post netted a free throw and a layup to give them a 66-63 lead, with 5:19 to go. Bridgeport was unable to overcome the deficit as every time they scored, LIU Post answered with a bucket of their own. LIU Post knocked down six-of-six free throws in the final minutes to seal the victory.

UB's Jennifer Kucukkaya (Sr., Sodertalje, Sweden) just missed out on a triple-double by netting a team high 26 points, dishing out 10 assists, and pulling in nine rebounds. Joining Kucukkaya in double figures were classmates Jenna Hoffman (Manchester Center, Vt.) and Aziz who scored 17 and 10, respectively.

Senior Casey Bray (Staten Island, N.Y.) led the Purple Knights in rebounding with 11 boards on the evening.

LIU Post's Chelsea Williams scored a game-high 32 points in the victory for the Pioneers.

Bridgeport will be back in action this Saturday, December 6, as they travel to St. Thomas Aquinas to take on the Spartans in an East Coast Conference clash.  Game time is set for 1:00 pm. UB returns home on December 13, as they face the Mavericks of Mercy College at 1:00 p.m.