SYRACUSE, N.Y. — LIU women's basketball puts Syracuse to the test in its 85-63 road loss to the Orange.

The Sharks shined in the first quarter, pulling away to an early seven point lead, before eventually trailing 36-27 at the half.

"We came out strong and we played with a lot of heart. We accepted the challenge, we played hard and worked together," said head coach Rene Haynes. 

LIU came out strong in the second half as Emaia O'Brien scored a team-high 18 points, while Iris Mbulito followed up with 13 points of her own.

"I'm proud of this team, I have all the confidence in the world in them and we are ready to keep pushing forward." said Haynes after the game.

The Sharks are back on the court Tuesday night for their home-opener against NJIT.