BROOKLYN, N.Y. -  The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team closes out the regular season on Saturday afternoon with a matchup with Bryant at the Steinberg Wellness Center. The Blackbirds have already clinched a spot in the upcoming Northeast Conference Tournament, and will be seeded anywhere from No. 5 to No. 8 in the eight-team event that begins on March 2. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., with all of the action available on NEC Front Row.

QUICK HITTERS
•LIU won its fourth game in the last five on Thursday evening, defeating Central Connecticut, 80-76.
•A season-high 56 points in the paint was one of the main factors for the Blackbirds, who also turned the ball over a season-low five times in the victory.
•The starting backcourt of Aakim Saintil and Martin Hermannsson combined for 14 assists without turning the ball over. Hermannsson also added a team-high 20 points.
•Hermannsson reached 20 points for the seventh time this season and scored 17 or more for the ninth straight game.
•LIU Brooklyn also received 16 points and six rebounds from junior Joel Hernandez, who has reached double figures in 11 of the last 12 contests.
•Redshirt sophomore Nura Zanna continued to play well, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds - including four offensive - in 32 minutes of action. Zanna also had a season-high three steals.
•Bryant dropped its 12th consecutive game on Thursday evening, a 79-72 loss at St. Francis Brooklyn.
•Nisre Zouzoua, who leads all NEC freshmen in scoring at 12.3 points per game, had 23 points off the bench including a 5-for-9 performance from three-point range.
•Marcel Pettway, another top rookie for the Bulldogs, added 17 points and eight rebounds and ranks third on the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game and second in rebounding at 7.1 per contest.