HACKENSACK, N.J. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team saw their six-game Northeast Conference win streak come to an end Saturday afternoon at Stratis Arena, as the Blackbirds fell to Fairleigh Dickinson, 83-66. The Knights, who improved to 7-1 in NEC play with the win, went 27-of-50 from the field (54 percent), connected on eight of 23 three pointers, and were 21-for-25 from the charity stripe. FDU also forced 18 LIU turnovers, including nine steals, and held LIU to a 33.3 field goal percentage.  With the loss, LIU moves to 13-8 overall, 6-2 in the NEC, and to third place in the conference standings.

The Blackbirds were led by senior Jerome Frink, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds, including a three pointer at 14:13 in the first half that would give LIU it's only lead of the day, 9-8. Just 15 seconds after Frink's shot, the Knights neutralized it with a three from Malik Miller, and retook the lead, 11-9. FDU would not trail again. The Knights would eventually widen the lead to six points, but two free throws from freshman Julius van Sauers would cut the gap to four points; three minutes later, a jumper by Frink did the same thing, cutting the lead to 21-17 with 9:10 to play in the first half.

Over the next five minutes, however, the Knights would go on a 12-2 scoring spree that would widen the lead to 33-19. Four made free throws by FDU's Darian Anderson would give the home team its widest lead of the first half, 38-21 with just over two minutes on the clock. The Blackbirds would close out the half on a strong note, when freshman Julian Batts hit a three pointer with 42 seconds to play that would cut the gap down to 40-28, and LIU went into the half down 12.

Junior Nura Zanna had a layup in the first 13 seconds of the second stanza that cut the lead to just 10 points, but the Knights would widen the gap back up, and continued to lead by 15+ points. Zanna and freshman Jashaun Agosto would combine in a 7-2 run for LIU that once again put the game in reach, 54-43 at 10:48. FDU used two threes over the next two minutes to quell momentum, and would eventually widen the lead to 20, 68-48 with 5:12 to play.

The Blackbirds had a brief glimmer of a comeback when freshman Ashtyn Bradley and sophomore Raul Frias hit back-to-back three pointers in 20 seconds to close the lead to 70-56, but the Knights would go 8-for-10 from the free throw line in the final four minutes to convert the win, 83-66.

NOTES FROM THE NEST

• Senior Jerome Frink led LIU with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Freshman Jashaun Agosto added 11 points and three assists, as the only other Blackbird in double figures.
• Nura Zanna had eight points and four rebounds, while Julian Batts added seven points, and Julius van Sauers had six.
• Darian Anderson led the Knights with 25 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. He also had nine rebounds, five assists and three steals.
• Three other FDU players scored in double digits, including Stephan Jiggetts (14 pts), Mike Holloway (12 pts) and Darnell Edge (11 pts)
• Frink's effort on the glass helped LIU out-rebound the Knights, 33-29.
• Up next, the Blackbirds head north to take on the Connecticut contingent of the NEC, facing off against Sacred Heart, Thursday, January 26, and CCSU on Saturday, January 28.