BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Despite a close-fought battle, the Bryant University women's basketball team led LIU Brooklyn from the start and never looked back, securing its first Northeast Conference victory of the season, 62-53, ending 2016 on a winning note.

The Blackbirds tied the ball up to regain possession with just over a minute to play, when freshman Aja Boyd converted the three-point play to pull LIU within four, 55-51, but the Bulldogs took care of business at the line, hitting 7-of-8 to secure their first conference win, 62-53.

Bryant shot 41.7 percent from the field, 16.7 percent from three and 76.9 percent from the line, while LIU went 28.4 percent from the floor, 20 percent from deep and 58.8 percent from the charity stripe. Sophomore Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) scored with a career-high 18 points off 4-of-12 overall, 1-of-6 from behind the arc and career-best 9-of-10 from the line. Senior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) earned her fourth double-double of the season off 15 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Sydney Holloway's (Morgantown, W. Va.) added 14 points off the bench, totaling her sixth double-figure scoring game of the season.

LIU's Shanovia Dove led all scorers with 21 points off 8-of-20 from the field, 2-of-9 from behind the arc and 3-of-6 from the line. Dove finished with a double-double, grabbing 10 boards. Boyd added 11 off 3-of-9 from the field and 5-of-8 from the stripe.

The Bulldogs began the game on a 10-0 run, holding the Blackbirds scoreless for 5:11. The run included three offensive rebounds by Klein, who scored off two and found freshman Stephanie Lesko (Rumson, N.J.) for the midrange jumper that gave the Bulldogs the 10-0 advantage at the 5:08 mark in the first. Lesko finished with four points. Bryant remained turnover prone, dispossessing the ball on seven occasions in the first quarter, including four traveling calls on Klein. The team finished with a season-high 25.

From the 11-second mark in the first to 5:25 to play in the second, the Blackbirds went on an 11-0 run in part to their sharp shooting from downtown. Dove, Victoria Powell and Brianna Farris all stroked one from downtown during the streak to pull the hosts within one, 18-17, halfway through the quarter. Bryant responded back with a 13-4 run, headed by Holloway, who scored six during the streak to become the first Bulldog with double-digit points. With 1:10 to play in the period, sophomore Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) drilled a three to give Bryant another double-digit lead, 31-21.

LIU's 7-4 run up to the media timeout in the third, aided the Blackbirds' recovery to within five, 36-31. The Blackbirds three-point shooting helped keep them in the contest, as Seneca Richards hit the team's fifth three of the game. Dove began to take flight in the third, scoring seven points, including an offensive board that was translated into 1-of-2 at the line. Boyd followed with a free throw of her own to pull LIU within three, 40-37, as the Bulldogs went scoreless for the final 3:05 of the quarter.

Dove's 19th point off a jumper to open the final period made it a one-point game, 40-39, but back-to-back Klein layups helped provide some cushion for the visitors. Following the media timeout in the fourth, Connors came up with a steal, finding Palmer for the fast break layup to make it 48-42 with 6:07 to play. On Bryant's next possession, Connors pump faked to get her defender of the ground and dribbled baseline before knocking down the short jumper. Connors finished with five points. After starting 0-for-5 from three, Palmer hit one from way downtown as the shot clock expired to give Bryant a seven-point advantage, 55-48, with 3:03 on the clock. The freshman point guard stroked 4-of-4 from the line with seconds remaining to help Bryant to a 62-53 victory.

The Bulldogs return to Smithfield to ring in the New Year and face Mount St. Mary's in their first game of 2017 on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m.