SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team led for 30 of the game's 40 minutes Saturday afternoon at the McDermott Convocation Center, but a late run by the host University of Incarnate Word was too much for the Blackbirds to overcome, as the Cardinals won, 90-79. Freshman Jashaun Agosto led LIU in the loss with a career-high 22 points, while seniors Jerome Frink and Iverson Fleming added 17 and 10 points, respectively.

LIU jumped out to an early lead to start the game, and would stay there for most of the contest.  Buckets from seniors Frink and Nura Zanna put LIU up, 6-0. Fleming added a jumper at 15:59 that put the Blackbirds up, 8-2. The home team struggled to score in the early going, only making two field goals in the first nine minutes of the game. But in an early indicator of the rest of the game, UIW went 5-for-6 from the free throw line to stay close to LIU.

LIU's widest lead of the game came when Agosto hit a three pointer at 4:09, to lead 38-30. He would hit another with 1:41 to go in the first half, keeping LIU just ahead of the home team, 43-37. A layup by UIW as the clock expired cut LIU's lead to four points, and the Blackbirds led, 45-41 at the half.

LIU struggled in the second half, with 11 team turnovers, and 17 fouls. UIW took advantage, scoring 13 points from the foul line in the second stanza of the game. The Cardinals would come back to tie it up four different times early in the half, but the Blackbirds were able to push through and retake the lead each time. A 6-0 run, with points from Agosto, Fleming and freshman Ashtyn Bradley helped give LIU the 61-55 lead with 9:26 to play. But the Cardinals wouldn't go quietly. A three pointer from Shawn Johnson gave UIW its first lead of the game, 68-66 with 6:17 left on the clock. And two minutes later, Incarnate Word would go on a tear. The home team would outscore LIU 17-4 to take the lead for good. During that time, the Cardinals were a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, and a near-perfect 6-for-7 from the charity stripe. Six straight free throws gave UIW the lead, 86-75 with just over a minute left in regulation.

Agosto would hit a three late in the game to cut the lead down to single digits, but the Cardinals finished the game on a strong note, taking the win, 90-79. With the loss, LIU moves to 6-2 on the season.

NOTES FROM THE NEST

• UIW scored 25 of its 90 points from the free throw line, shooting 78.1 percent from the charity stripe.
• LIU had 27 fouls as a team.
• Jashaun Agosto led the team with 22 points, going 8-for-12 from the field, and 4-for-5 from three-point range. The freshman also had four assists and two steals in the loss.
• Senior Jerome Frink had 17 points, six rebounds and four assists.
• Senior Iverson Fleming had 10 points for LIU, while senior Nura Zanna led the Blackbirds on the boards with seven rebounds.
• Ten different players scored for LIU.
• Incarnate Word had five players score in double figures, led by Simi Socks with 18 points, and Shawn Johnson with 17.
• UIW shot 32 free throws in the win, to LIU's 16.
• Up next, the Blackbirds head to Durham, N.C., to take on North Carolina Central, Tuesday, December 6 at 7 p.m.