MANCHESTER, N.H. – Kiki Sears totaled 19 points as LIU Post held off a late Southern New Hampshire University rally for a 64-58 women's basketball victory Friday evening at the SNHU Fieldhouse.  The game marked the season opener for both schools.

Sears also had six steals in the win for the Pioneers, while Chelsea Williams totaled 16 points and eight rebounds.

Sophomore Amra Elezovic (Manchester, N.H.), making her Penmen debut after starting her collegiate career at UMass Lowell, matched her career-high of 21 points, going 7-16 from the floor and 7-11 at the free throw line.  The former Manchester Memorial standout also finished with seven rebounds.  Junior Lorreta Rocha (Espargos, Cape Verde) was the other SNHU player in double figures as she totaled 11 points.

Southern New Hampshire trailed 39-27 at halftime and 50-36 with 11:31 remaining following a Nijah Lacourt layup.  The Penmen held the Pioneers without a field goal for over eight minutes and whittled the lead down to four, 53-49, with 4:16 left on a pair of Elezovic free throws.  Williams broke the field goal drought with 3:24 left on a layup that made it 56-49.  The Penmen got the lead back down to four, 57-53, with 2:05 left on an Erin Doherty (Marshfield, Mass.) basket, but would get no closer, with LIU Post going 5-8 at the free throw line in the final minute to secure the win.

LIU Post jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead, but the Penmen scored the next eight points to take an 8-6 lead on a Rocha layup with 12:43 left in the first half.  Southern New Hampshire led 14-12 when the Pioneers embarked on a 16-3 run capped by an Alexis Peters free throw to build a 28-17 lead with 5:52 left before intermission.  The guests took a 39-27 lead into the locker room.

Neither team shot the ball well, with SNHU finishing 21-60 (35%) and LIU Post 23-75 (30.7%), however, the Pioneers held a 27-16 advantage on the offensive glass and a 56-49 rebounding advantage overall.  The hosts were also haunted by 22 turnovers that led to a 17-8 LIU Post advantage in points off giveaways.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action Saturday when it hosts Georgian Court University in a 3:00 non-conference contest at the SNHU Fieldhouse.

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