WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Chevannah Paalvast (Auckland, New Zealand/Massey) scored a team-high 18 points, but the Monmouth University women's basketball team fell to LIU Brooklyn, 67-52, Saturday afternoon at the Multipurpose Activity Center. With the loss, the Hawks fall to 1-8, while the Blackbirds improve to 1-8.

“We were a little rusty trying to get back,” said Monmouth Head Coach Jenny Palmateer, whose team was playing it first game since a victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Dec. 3. “I think it was a really obvious we hadn't played a game in 11 days. So the timing of that really wasn't that great and we have another break like that coming up. So It's going to be a real challenge for us to be able to balance, to keep working, keep improving and doing the things that could help make us a better team.”

Paalvast also added a game-high four steals, while grabbing five rebounds. Danica Dragicevic (Belgrade, Serbia/XV Beogradska Gimnazija) scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Jasmine Walker (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) added eight points, four rebounds and three assists.

Cleandra Roberts scored a game-high 23 points and added six rebounds for LIU. Letava Whippy added 18 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Aleisha Myers also scored in double figures with 13 points to go along with seven rebounds. Sophie Bhasin also chipped in with nine points and six rebounds.

After each team scored four points, LIU scored six straight to take an early 10-4 edge. The Hawks battled back with six of the next eight points to pull to within 12-10 at the 11:37 mark. But the Blackbirds scored 22 of the final 30 points of the half to take a 34-18 advantage into the half. Whippy led LIU with 10 points, six rebounds and two steals at the half, while Bhasin added nine points. Paalvast paced the Hawks with seven points and four rebounds. The Blackbirds outshot the Hawks, 50.0 percent (13-26) to 26.9 percent (7-26) from the field in the first half, including a 60.0 percent (3-5) to 0.0 percent (0-3) edge from long range.

The Hawks closed to within 14 points on two occasions in the second half, but could draw no closer. The LIU lead swelled to as many as 23 points in the second half.

For the game, LIU Brooklyn outshot MU, 51.1 percent (24-47) to 34.5 percent (19-55) from the floor, 66.7 percent (6-9) to 9.1 percent (1-11) from long range and 81.3 percent (13-16) to 76.5 percent (13-17) from the free-throw line. The Blackbirds also took a 37-26 edge on the glass.

The Hawks return to action Saturday, Dec. 21 when they take part in the Seawolves Holiday Classic at Stony Brook. Monmouth takes on host Stony Brook at 2 p.m. from Stony Brook University Arena.