Staff report

SALISBURY — Livingstone defeated Puerto Rico-Bayamon, 76-71, in women’s basketball action here Friday night at New Trent Gym.

The win was the second straight for Livingstone, having topped Claflin, 80-61, on Wednesday. Coach Tiffany Silver’s Blue Bears opened last weekend with two losses in West Chester, Pa.

Bayamon falls to 0-2.

Livingstone mostly has a team of newcomers but it was the three veterans that led the way last night.

Sophomore guard Asia Green paced the Blue Bears with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Junior forward Kyala Searcy followed with 17 points and junior guard Zena Lovette scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Green made nine of 12 shots from the field, one of her career-best games at Livingstone.

Livingstone enjoyed a comfortable 44-29 halftime lead, but the Vaqueros won the third period, 24-17, cutting the deficit to 61-53. Lyannis Torres and Anellisse Vargas led the Bayamon comeback.

The Vaqueros then scored the first seven points of the final period, making the score 61-60. A layup by Bayamon’s Ideslie Cardona sliced the deficit to one point before Green quickly nailed a 3-pointer, halting the run with 6:40 left in the game.

However, Bayamon kept battling and eventually tied the game at 71-71, on a jumper from Cardona with 2:29 left. But the Vaqueros would not score again.

A layup from Green put the Blue Bears back up at the 1:52-mark and she was fouled on the play. Green made the foul shot for a 74-71 advantage. Livingstone’s Imani Payne would ice the contest on two free throws with 17 seconds remaining. Payne ended with 10 points.

Livingstone made 45 percent of its field goal attempts (27-of-60) but just 4-of-19 on 3-pointers. Bayamon shot 43 percent from the floor (27-of-63) and 25 percent from the arc (8-of-32).

Bayamon placed four players in double-figures — Genesis Pagan (16), Vargas (15), Torres (14) and Cardona (10).

Livingstone returns to action on Tuesday, completing its current three-game homestand with a 6 p.m. game against Queens.

NOTE: Livingstone freshman guard Taylor Perkins, who scored 24 points on Wednesday against Claflin, did not play last night. Reportedly, she suffered an ankle injury in practice on Thursday.

PR-BAYAMON (71) — Diaz 8, Torres 14, Cardona 10, Vargas 15, Pagan 16, Zayas, Gonzalez, Rivera 6, De Garcia, Guevara 2, Rodriguez.

LIVINGSTONE (76) — Green 20, Lovette 16, Searcy 17, Bland 4, Payne 10, Galay, Bradley 4, Robinson 5, Deberry, Foote, Porter, Terry.

PR-Bayamon           15    14    24    18 — 71

Livingstone             24    20   17     15 — 76