BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Dec. 2, 2015) - On Wednesday evening, the LIU Post women's basketball team defeated Mercy College, 63-55, in its 2015-16 East Coast Conference and home opener at the Pratt Recreation Center.

The win snapped a five-game skid for the Pioneers, who improved to 1-5 and 1-0 in ECC play. Meanwhile, the Mavericks slipped to 1-5 and 0-1 against league opposition.

LIU Post looked poised for a big win in the first half, shooting 50.0 percent (13-for-26) from the floor. The green and gold took a 36-19 lead into the intermission, behind 12 points from senior guard Quanisha Ratley (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Fellow senior guard Khea Gibbs (Norwalk, Conn.) added seven assists and seven rebounds in the game's first 20 minutes.

In the second half, the Pioneers extended their lead to 22 points (41-19), after freshman guard Shannon Doyle (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) hit a lay-up and Ratley drained one of her four three-pointers. Mercy (1-5, 0-1) would close the third quarter on a 22-8 run to cut the deficit to 49-41.

Midway through the fourth quarter, LIU Post re-gained its double-digit advantage, when senior forward Nyasia Davis (Rahway, N.J.) hit a pair of free throws, before senior guard Jalyn Brown (Riverhead, N.Y.) drained one of her three treys with 2:32 to go to seal it.

Ratley was one of four Pioneers in double figures, as the senior finished with a season-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 from long distance. Doyle finished with 12 points, while Davis and Brown chipped in 10 points apiece. Gibbs collected nine assists and eight rebounds in 26 minutes.

Head Coach Deirdre Moore and the Pioneers are back in action on Saturday (Dec. 5), when they travel to Sparkill to take on St. Thomas Aquinas College in an ECC battle. The opening tip is slated for 1:30 p.m.