BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Iverson Fleming was lights out for LIU men's basketball Monday afternoon in Case Gym, scoring a career-high 26 points to lead the Blackbirds past Maine, 71-66, in the final game of the Steve Wright Classic hosted by Boston University. With the win, the Blackbirds improve to 4-1 on the season, and finish second in the tournament standings, behind the host Terriers.

Fleming was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line in the win, while the Blackbirds shot 86 percent from the charity stripe as a team, scoring 31 of their 71 points there.

LIU led wire-to-wire in Monday's matinee. Maine got into early foul trouble in the match-up, and the Blackbirds were in the bonus just six minutes in. Unfortunately for the Black Bears, LIU did not miss, going 7-for-8 from the line in that stretch. Sophomore Julius van Sauers hit two of those to put LIU up, 14-4 with 13:21 to play. Late in the first half, Maine would make a run, closing the lead to just three points, but Fleming would hit a trey in the final minute of the half to give the Blackbirds a 37-28 lead at the break.

LIU was able to put the game away for good in the first ten minutes of the second half. The Blackbirds went on a 10-0 run, sparked by a jumper from freshman Jashaun Agosto, and led 49-32 with 11:48 on the clock.

That 17-point cushion would come in handy a short time later, when the Black Bears made a late push to stay in the game. Maine would cut the lead down to single digits with just over six minutes left to play. UM's Wes Myers went on a one-man run for the Bears, scoring five points over a minute and a half to bring his team within reach, 63-58 with 1:38 to play.

With both teams in the double bonus, Maine would play the foul game late and put up the points needed to keep it competitive, but Agosto and Fleming went a combined 8-for-10 from the charity stripe in the final 1:30 to ice the win for the Blackbirds, 71-66.

NOTES FROM THE NEST

• Iverson Fleming set a career-high in points (26), free throws made (12) and attempted (12) Monday. He was 2-for-3 from long range, and also had five rebounds for LIU in the win.
• Recently minted NEC Rookie of the Week Jashaun Agosto had 13 points in the win for LIU, while senior Jerome Frink had a full stat line, with 13 points, a team-high six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
• Sophomore Raiquan Clark had four rebounds and a career-high three blocks for the Blackbirds, while senior Nura Zanna chipped in seven points and five boards.
• Maine's Ilker Er led the offensive push, scoring 12 points, including three three-pointers in the second half. Wes Myers and Dennis Ashley added 11 points each for the Black Bears.
• Up next, the Blackbirds return to the Bay State in just four day, traveling to take on UMass Lowell, Saturday, November 26 at 2 p.m.