AMHERST, N.Y. – Graduate student Kristen Olsen (Staten Island, N.Y.) connected on 7-of-9 three-pointers and totaled 21 points to lead regionally-ranked Long Island University—Post to an 81-57 victory over Daemen College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball action. LIU-Post, which is ranked ninth in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll, remained unbeaten in league play (6-0) and improved to 11-5 overall. Daemen dropped to 5-11 overall and 2-4 in the ECC.
LIU-Post finished 16-of-29 from three-point land in the game and established a new school-record for triples in a game. The previous record of 12 was set numerous times, most recently on Jan. 7, 2017 against Roberts Wesleyan College. The record-breaking performance from long range comes just two days after Daemen went 14-for-29 from downtown in a 78-58 win over the University of the District of Columbia. The Wildcats connected on just 4-of-18 attempts from behind the arc tonight.
Olsen, who entered the game just 13-of-55 (.236) from three-point land on the season, drilled five of her seven three-pointers in the first half and also contributed five rebounds. Senior forward Sasha Patterson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 16 for the Pioneers, while sophomore forward Mikaiya Moore (Amityville, N.Y.) chipped in 13 points and five rebounds.
Senior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) paced the host Wildcats with 17 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Saba, who entered the game averaging a league-high 17.9 points per game, has now scored in double figures in 15-straight games. Redshirt freshman Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia) added 10 points, while sophomore Sarah Young (Depew, N.Y./St. Bonaventure) and junior Erin Egan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) both netted eight points. Young also grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
LIU-Post jumped out to an early 7-2 lead, but the Pioneers managed just four points over the final eight minutes of the first quarter and Daemen took a 12-11 lead into the second quarter.
The teams traded baskets for the first five minutes of the second quarter, and the game was tied at 22-22 when a three-pointer by Olsen sparked the visitors on a 14-7 run over the final 4:54 of the frame. Olsen drilled four three-pointers during the run and the Pioneers took a 36-29 lead into intermission.
LIUP opened the thrird quarter with a three-pointer by junior Shannon Doyle (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) and later took a 14-point lead, 54-40, following a layup by Moore with 3:41 left in the frame. Another three-pointer by Doyle with 13 seconds left in the third quarter gave the visitors a 64-46 lead after three.
A 9-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter (all nine points via three-pointers) increased the LIUP lead to 25 points, 73-48, and the Pioneers maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the way.
Daemen shot 40-percent (21-for-53) from the field and connected on 11-of-16 from the charity stripe. LIU-Post shot 57-percent (17-for-30) from the field in the second half and finished 31-for-65 (48%) from the field overall. The Pioneers attempted just five free throws in the game and made three. LIUP finished with 38-30 edge in total rebounds. The visitors collected 14 offensive rebounds in the game and posted a 14-1 advantage in second-chance points.
The Wildcats return to action Sunday (Jan. 14) when they host New York Institute of Technology in an ECC game.
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