OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – A running layup by redshirt-junior Robyn Francis with 1.2 seconds remaining lifted the LIU Post women's basketball team past the New York Institute of Technology, 61-59, in the final regular season chapter of the Battle of the Boulevard rivalry at Recreation Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 27. With the win, the Pioneers clinch the No. 4 seed in the East Coast Conference postseason tournament and will host a quarterfinal matchup next Wednesday at the Pratt Recreation Center.
 
Francis' last second layup helped foil a late comeback attempt by the Bears who trailed by five points entering the fourth quarter. Despite extending the lead to 11 points (52-41) with 7:28 remaining, NYIT jumped back into the game with a 9-0 burst. A three-pointer from the top of the key by Shalie Frierson with 1:16 remaining made it a one-point game (56-55), and after LIU Post went just 1-for-4 at the free-throw line a minute later, the Bears leveled the scoring with a pair of free throws with eight seconds remaining, setting up the game-winning play by Francis.
 
After taking an inbounds pass in the right corner, Francis drove left and put up a running, fall away layup with her right hand and banked it in off the glass to spark a celebration for the Pioneers. A desperation attempt by the Bears at the buzzer fell short and LIU Post survived for the clinching victory.
 
Graduate student Sasha Patterson led three players in double figures for the Green and Gold, netting 18 points to go with 11 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the season. Senior Shannon Doyle netted 12 points, including three triples, and Francis chipped in 11 points to go with a team-high six assists. LIU Post held a 43-33 advantage on the glass, including a 21-10 edge in offensive rebounds which led to 18 second chance points.
 
The Pioneers will await the final seeding this weekend to determine their quarterfinal round opponent for the ECC Championship. The opening round will be played at the Pratt Recreation Center on Wednesday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. A full preview of the matchup will be available on LIUPostPioneers.com next week.