BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team could not overcome a late run by Fairleigh Dickinson Friday afternoon, falling to the Knights in the Northeast Conference opener, 82-71. Senior Joel Hernandez (23 points, 10 rebounds) and junior Raiquan Clark (21 points, 8 rebounds) led LIU, while FDU was led by Mike Holloway Jr., who had a career-high 27 points against the Blackbirds.
 
Early on in the game the Blackbirds were on fire, as the home team went 5-for-6 from the field in the first five minutes of play, but then struggled to make shots. The Knights got on the board first, but back-to-back layups from Raiquan Clark and Jashaun Agosto would put LIU up, 8-5. From there, the two teams battled back and forth. The Knights retook the lead on a three from Darnell Edge at 15:01, but Julius van Sauers would make two consecutive layups and tie the game up at 15-15. From there, however, the Knights were able to hold on to the lead. A 6-2 run by the visiting team would give them their widest lead of the day so far, 27-21 with 7:15 to play.
 
At that point, however, freshman Eral Penn helped spark a run for the Blackbirds. After Clark found him for a fast break layup, Hernandez passed him the ball for a cutting dunk that cut the lead to two. FDU left him unguarded on the next play as well, and another cutting dunk off a pass from Clark had Penn score six straight for LIU. The freshman's spree was a part of a larger 13-2 run by the Blackbirds that saw the home team take a 34-29 lead with 2:44 to play in the first half. But the Knights would end the half on a 10-2 run of their own, and led at the break, 39-36.
 
The Blackbirds fared well starting the second half, as Clark and Hernandez both chipped away at the lead. Sophomore Jashaun Agosto hit a three that didn't even move the net, retook the lead for LIU, 43-41 at 17:50. The Blackbirds would trade the lead with FDU once more, before the Knights ended up going ahead for good just a few minutes later.
 
The Blackbirds would keep it close despite trailing. A traditional three-point play from Clark at 13:55 would keep LIU within one, and senior Jamall Robinson would drain a three pointer at 9:38 that made it 58-57 at 9:38. But at that point, the game began to get away from the Blackbirds. Over the next six minutes, FDU would outscore LIU 16-4, widening the lead to 74-61 with just under three and a half minutes to play. The Blackbirds had three pointers from both Robinson and Hernandez in the final minute that would cut the lead to single digits, but the Knights would keep LIU at arm's length, and win the NEC opener, 82-71.
 
NOTES FROM THE NEST

• With the loss, the Blackbirds move to 5-9 overall, and 0-1 in the league, while FDU moves to 4-8 overall and 1-0 in the league.
• LIU outrebounded FDU, 44-35, but the Knights had the advantage on turnovers, as LIU had 15, and the Knights were limited to just four.
• Freshman Eral Penn had three blocks and seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
• The Blackbirds shot 44.3 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from long range.
• Joel Hernandez had his second double double of the season, with 23 points and 10 rebounds, along with four assists.
• Jashaun Agosto led LIU with five assists, along with nine points.
• Raiquan Clark had 21 points and eight rebounds, along with three assists and two steals.
• The Knights had four players score in double figures, led by Holloway's 27 points.
• Up next, LIU hosts Mount St. Mary's, Sunday, December 31 at 2 p.m,