BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team will look to snap its Northeast Conference losing streak Saturday afternoon in the Steinberg Wellness Center, hosting Saint Francis University at 4:30 p.m. The Blackbirds have lost three of their last four games; the two teams are both 7-4 in the NEC standings, tied for third place behind Mount St. Mary's and FDU.
QUICK HITS
- For the second game in a row, a struggle with shooting cost the LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team. Thursday night in the Steinberg Wellness Center, the Blackbirds dropped a 67-63 decision to the Robert Morris Colonials, as they shot 39.3 percent from the field and went 9-for-23 from the free throw line as a team.
- LIU moved to 14-10 overall, and 7-4 in Northeast Conference play with the loss
- Senior
Jerome Frink led all players with 22 points, along with eight rebounds and three assists, while
Iverson Fleming finished with 15 points and three assists.
- Junior
Nura Zanna had 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, along with six rebounds. Freshman
Julian Batts had seven rebounds, four assists and two points for the Blackbirds, while sophomore
Julius van Sauers had three assists in the loss.
- Saint Francis is coming off a 78-61 win over St. Francis Brooklyn Thursday, which moved the Red Flash to 10-12 on the year, 7-4 in the NEC. SFU currently leads the NEC in scoring (76.1 points per game), field goal percentage (45.7), three pointers made per game (8.2), and three-point percentage (38.6).
- The Red Flash has four players averaging double-digits in scoring, the only team in the conference who can boast that. Isaiah Blackmon, who puts up 13.2 points per game and is shooting .507 from three-point range, leads SFU. Other top scorers include Keith Braxton (13.0), Jamaal King (13.0) and Josh Nebo (12.0). Nebo is also the top blocker in the league, swatting away an average of 2.27 shots per game.
- Last time the two teams faced off, LIU came out on top, 83-70 in DelGol Arena. The Blackbirds had four players reach double digits in scoring in the win, including double-doubles from both Frink and Zanna.
- Frink led the Blackbirds in the win, with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Zanna had 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Fleming put up 17 points and led the Blackbirds with three assists. Sophomore
Raiquan Clark had a career-high ten points in the first half that were crucial to keep LIU in the game.
- Though the Blackbirds had four players in double figures, they very nearly had six, as freshmen
Julian Batts and
Jashaun Agosto had nine and eight points, respectively.
- LIU shot 54.5 percent from the field in the second half. The Blackbirds out-rebounded the Red Flash 42-28 in the win, including 17 offensive boards. LIU would score 25 second-chance points off of those offensive boards, and also outscored SFU in the paint, 45-24.
- Up next, LIU travels to Smithfield, Rhode Island, to take on Bryant, Thursday, February 9 in the Chace Athletic Center. Tip off will be at 7 p.m.