DURHAM, N.C. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball road swing continues as the Blackbirds (6-2) have headed to North Carolina, where they will take on North Carolina Central (5-3), Tuesday, December 6 at 7 p.m.
QUICK HITS
- The Blackbirds are coming off their second loss of the season, at the University of the Incarnate Word. LIU for 30 of the game's 40 minutes Saturday at the McDermott Convocation Center, but a late run by the host Cardinals was too much for the Blackbirds to overcome, as they 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.
- NCCU also had a win streak snapped recently. The Eagles started the season with two losses to Marshal (81-69) and Ohio State (69-63), before rattling off five straight wins over Western Carolina, Jackson State, Northern Kentucky, Missouri and Southern Wesleyan. Their win streak was snapped Saturday, with a 69-56 defeat at East Carolina University.
- LIU and NCCU faced off for the first time in program history last season at the Barclays Center. Trailing by 12 points midway through the second half, LIU rallied late to earn a 78-77 victory. Frink led LIU with 18 points in the win.
- The Eagles are an experience squad averaging 71.9 points per game. There is not a single freshman on the NCCU roster, and only two sophomores. All of the Eagles, minus one, have transferred to NCCU from elsewhere. The core of the team is seven seniors, five of whom are redshirt seniors.
- The Eagles are led by 6'5" redshirt senior guard Patrick Cole, in nearly every category. The Newark, N.J. native averages 20.5 points per game, 5.6 assists per game and 8.0 rebounds per game, all team highs.
- Two other players average in double digits for the Eagles: redshirt senior guard Dajuan Graf, who adds 12.0 points per game and 4.6 assists per game, and 6'6" junior forward Pablo Rivas, who has come entirely off the bench, and averages 10.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and has a team-high 10 total blocks so far. 6-8 redshirt senior Will Ransom is second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game and nine blocks, averaging 3.4 points per game.
- Up next, the Blackbirds return to Brooklyn, but not to the Steinberg Wellness Center. LIU will take part in the 2016 Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival at the Barclays Center, facing off with St. John's, Sunday, December 11 at 12 p.m., in a matchup that will be followed by No. 7 Kentucky vs. Hofstra at 3 p.m. Tickets for the doubleheader, along with more information, is available here.