BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team scored a season-high 56 points in the paint and turned the ball over a season-low five times in a wire-to-wire, 80-76 win over Central Connecticut on Thursday evening at the Steinberg Wellness Center. Sophomore Martin Hermannsson tallied 20 points and had six assists while junior Iverson Fleming came off the bench to score 14 points to help the Blackbirds improve to 15-13 overall and 9-8 in Northeast Conference play.

LIU got off to a fast start, as a steal and fastbreak dunk from junior Jerome Frink opened the scoring and began a 10-4 run through the first three minutes of play. The Blue Devils cut the margin to just one following a three-pointer from JJ Cratit, but the Blackbirds responded with four straight and eight of the next 10 points to regain a seven-point cushion, 20-13, with 11:50 remaining in the first half.

The margin remained the same four minutes later when Hermannsson connected on a short jumper to put the score at 28-19. CCSU followed with 13 of the next 19 points, including a trio of three-pointers to come all the way back to within two at 34-32. LIU Brooklyn finished the half strong, however, scoring seven straight to push the advantage to 41-32 at intermission. The Blackbirds assisted on 10 of their 18 field goals in the opening stanza, including six from junior Aakim Saintil, while only turning the ball over once.

The Blackbirds looked poised to run away with the game early in the second half, as three straight field goals from junior Joel Hernandez pushed the home team in front 47-32 just over two minutes into the period. But Central Connecticut stayed in the game with a hot streak from three-point range. Kevin Seymour, who entered the contest having made just four three-pointers all season, hit back-to-back three-balls and then connected on a short jumper to pull the Blue Devils to within 51-44.

A layup from sophomore Trevin Woods and a fast-break jumper from Hermannsson bolstered the lead back to double figures for the Blackbirds. Another three-pointer from Seymour brought the visitors to within eight, but Hermannsson drove for a hoop and Fleming hit a pull-up jumper to bump LIU's advantage to 61-49 with 11:03 on the clock.

The trifecta was once again a weapon for CCSU over the next three minutes, as Eric Bowles, Austin Nehls and Seymour each hit from deep to pull Central all the way to within four, 64-60, with 8:41 remaining. From there, the two teams traded brief spurts as the lead fluctuated between four and eight over the next six minutes. Fleming scored six straight for his team over the span, and a short jumper from Saintil put the score at 74-68 with 2:24 left.

A three-pointer from Nehls with just under a minute left made it a one-possession game at 74-71. But Hermannsson connected on two free throws then, after a missed three by CCSU, Hernandez did the same to put the game effectively out of reach. Hernandez finished with 16 points for LIU, while redshirt sophomore Nura Zanna was the fourth player in double figures with 12 points. Seymour closed with 22 points, including five three-pointers, to lead the Blue Devils, who finished with 13 three-pointers.

LIU Brooklyn rounds out the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 27 at home against Bryant. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.