BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team will look to snap a two-game losing streak this Wednesday, December 21, when the Blackbirds host Niagara at the Barclays Center. LIU is 2-0 this season in the arena of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, having beaten Loyola and St. John's there. Tip-off, which will take place 30 minutes after the LIU Brooklyn women's game concludes, is slated for no earlier than 7:30 p.m. It is the last non-conference game of the year for the Blackbirds, who stand at 7-5 this season, just one week away from the first Northeast Conference contest of the season.
QUICK HITS
• The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team struggled in their return to the Steinberg Wellness Center Sunday afternoon, dropping an 82-68 decision to Dartmouth. The win was the first of the season for the Big Green (1-9), while the Blackbirds fall to 7-5. LIU struggled offensively, shooting 36.7 percent from the field in the first half, 20 percent from long range all day, and 45.5 percent from the free throw line. The Blackbirds have lost four of their last five games.
• Senior
Jerome Frink led LIU, scoring 22 points, along with a game-high three blocks. Senior
Nura Zanna had his third-straight double-double, with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and a career-high 16 rebounds, while senior
Iverson Fleming chipped in 12 points in the loss.
• Niagara comes to downtown Brooklyn with a 3-9 overall record, having already begun conference play, at 1-1 in the MAAC. The only common opponent between the two teams is Hartford. LIU beat the Hawks on the road, while Niagara fell to them, 82-78. The Purple Eagles will also be looking to snap a two-game losing streak; NU most recently fell to Youngstown State, 101-97 in OT, and St. Bonaventure, 79-69, both on the road.
• LIU and Niagara have one of the longer running match-up histories, as the two teams' series dates back to 1935. The Purple Eagles hold the all-time advantage over the Blackbirds, 8-6, but LIU has the most recent win under its belt. Last year, the Blackbirds beat Niagara at home in overtime, in a thriller that saw LIU make a layup to steal the win with 2.6 seconds left to play in OT. Four Blackbirds scored in double figures in the win.
• Junior guard Matt Scott leads Niagara this season, averaging 17.0 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game, and has a team-high 14 steals.
• Another player to watch is USC transfer and redshirt junior guard Kahlil Dukes (16.5 ppg). The only Niagara player to score in double digits in every game, he's coming off of two consecutive 20-point performances against Youngstown State (20 pts) and the Bonnies (21 pts).
• Defensively, 6-8 sophomore forward Dominic Robb could give the Blackbirds trouble. Adding 8.9 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game, he's one of the best blockers in the nation. He leads the MAAC and ranks in the top 50 in the country with 2.0 blocks per game, and he's 25th in the nation with 25 total blocks so far this year.
• Up next, the Blackbirds open Northeast Conference play. LIU will host Mount St. Mary's for a double-header. The men's game is slated to tip off at 4:30 p.m.