BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team begins Northeast Conference play this weekend, hosting Fairleigh Dickinson and defending NEC champion Mount St. Mary's in the Steinberg Wellness Center over the holiday weekend. The Blackbirds (5-8) will take on the Knights (3-8), Friday, December 29 at 4:30 p.m., and hosting the Mountaineers (6-7), Sunday, December 31 at 2 p.m.
QUICK HITS
- LIU capped its non-conference schedule with a big road win Friday night, beating Binghamton, 74-66. The Blackbirds shot 56.5 percent from the field, led by Joel Hernandez and Raiquan Clark, who had 25 and 23 points respectively.
- Hernandez had 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists.
- Clark had 21 of his 23 points in the second half, including 11 made free throws on 15 attempts.
- Sophomore Julian Batts had eight points, while classmate Jashaun Agosto added seven points, four rebounds and three assists. Freshman Eral Penn had five rebounds and four points.
- The Blackbirds, who led for 87 percent of the game, outrebounded Binghamton 33-25.
- It was the first road win for LIU this season, and the Blackbirds move to 5-8 overall.
- FDU enters the contest looking to snap a six-game losing streak that includes defeats by Maryland, Rutgers, NJIT, Saint Peter's and Iona.
- The Knights are led by senior guard Darian Anderson's 14.4 points per game. Junior forward Mike Holloway Jr. averages 12.3 points per game, along with a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game, while junior guard Darnell Edge adds 11.8 points per contest.
- FDU leads the league in steals, averaging 9.7 per game.
- Last year, the Blackbirds split with the Knights, falling on the road in New Jersey, 83-66, but beating them in Brooklyn, 75-69.
- The Mount enters NEC play against Wagner Friday with a 6-7 record, before coming to Brooklyn Sunday. The defending NEC champs are riding a three-game winning streak, having beaten Washington College, American and Coppin State.
- Senior guard Junior Robinson is the driving force behind Mount's early season success, as he's averaging a league-high 22.3 points per game. He is also second in the NEC in assists, dishing out 5.38 per contest.
- Freshman guard Jonah Antonio and senior guard Greg Alexander are the only other players averaging in double figures, at 11.5 and 11.3 points per game respectively.
- Senior forward Chris Wray leads the team in rebounds, with 8.6 per game.
- Last year the Blackbirds lost to Mount in the NEC season opener at home, 67-65, but avenged the loss on the road, beating them near the end of the season, 62-58.
- Up next, LIU heads to Pennsylvania to take on Saint Francis U. and Robert Morris in the first weekend of 2018.