TEANECK, N.J. – Junior guard Brandy Thomas led all scorers with 18 points as the Long Island University women's basketball team downed Fairleigh Dickinson University, 52-46 in Northeast Conference action on Thursday, Feb. 4.
 
It was a hot start for both sides as the Sharks and Knights scored 17 points during the first five minutes before the defenses settled in for the evening. FDU led by as many as four points late in the first quarter before the Blue and Gold used an 11-3 burst to jump ahead 21-17 with 3:26 to play in second quarter. Thomas scored the final five points of the first half for LIU, leading the Sharks into the locker room with a 26-21 advantage.
 
The Baldwin native wasn't finished with her scoring spurt, as she also scored the first seven points of the second half to account for a total of 12-consecutive points scored for LIU as the Sharks led 33-26 at the 6:52 mark. FDU scored six unanswered points, spanning into the fourth quarter, to cut the LIU lead to two points at 35-33. Despite shooting 46-percent from the floor during the final frame, the Knights could not cut the deficit to less than four points the rest of the way and the Sharks held on for the 52-46 final.
 
The Sharks return to the Rothman Center tomorrow evening for the back-end of a two-game set with the Knights. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. and fans can stream the contest live online across all streaming platforms on NEC Front Row.
 
SHARK BITES:
 

• LIU improves to 3-6 on the year with the win, while FDU drops to 8-6 overall and 4-5 in NEC play.
• The 18 points marked the sixth double-figure scoring performance of the season, and third-straight for Thomas. The performance was her second-highest scoring output of the year behind 19 points scored at Saint Francis University.
• Thomas also led LIU with nine rebounds and added two steals on the evening
• Senior Mia Perkins also finished in double figures, netting 10 points for her second-consecutive double-figure scoring performance.
• LIU held FDU to just 38-percent shooting (19-50) overall and 17-percent (3-18) from beyond the arc. This marks the fourth time this season that LIU held its opponent under 40 percent shooting from the field.