HACKENSACK, N.J. – Four Blackbirds scored in double figures Thursday night at the Rothman Center, as the LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team had a total team win over Fairleigh Dickinson, 90-85. Late foul trouble would cost the Knights, as LIU shot 39 free throws, 36 of which came in the second half. Teaneck native Joel Hernandez led the Blackbirds in the win with 22 points, while junior Raiquan Clark had his third double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds. With the win, the Blackbirds move to 2-3 in Northeast Conference action.

Fairleigh Dickinson dominated the Blackbirds in the first half, forcing 10 LIU turnovers as LIU struggled to make shots to get started. The two teams would both struggle with shooting early on, but FDU's shots started to fall around the 17-minute mark. Though the Blackbirds had an early 4-2 lead, FDU quickly used a 10-2 run to take the 12-6 lead with 15:23 to play. From there, another 12-2 run by the Knights widened the lead to 21-8 in favor of the home team. But the Blackbirds started to battle back. Junior Raul Frias hit a three-pointer at 12:33 that would spark the offense. His three, along with one from senior Jamall Robinson, helped LIU string together a 12-2 run that cut the lead back down to five points, 23-18 with 10:53 to play.

Raiquan Clark would help bring LIU as close as they would get in the first half. After sophomore Julian Batts drained a three-pointer, Clark would convert a traditional three-point play that brought the Blackbirds within three points, 33-30 with 4:09 left in the first half. FDU would widen the lead back up by as many as eight points, but LIU stay within striking distance. Agosto would hit a jumper in the paint as the clock ran down that put LIU within six at the half, 44-38.

FDU carried the momentum into the second half, leading at the start. Hernadez would hit at here pointer at 18:38 that cut it to five points, but the Knights would widen the lead back up and hold on to it. The home team led by as many as 10 points, when Mike Holloway made a layup at 14:23 to make it 60-50.
But the Blackbirds started to battle back. Coming out of the 12-minute media timeout, Agosto dribbled down to the baseline and kicked the ball out to Julius van Sauers at the top of the key. The junior drained a three to cut it to 62-59 with 11:28 to play.

On LIU's next two trips down the court, Clark and Hernandez would draw fouls, and both both converted on the one and ones; the four free throws gave LIU its first lead since the start of the game, 63-62, with 10 minutes left in the game.

Senior Zach Coleman had a dunk at 6:44 that would widen the lead to five points, and two minutes later, Julian Batts drained a three to keep LIU on top. From there, foul trouble for the home team helped the Blackbirds stay on top. Over the final four minutes of the game, 10 of LIU's 16 points would come from the free throw line, helping the Blackbirds take the 90-85 win.

NOTES FROM THE NEST

• The Blackbirds went 27-for-39 from the free throw line (24-for-36 in the second half) and outrebounded the Knights, 41-30.
• Joel Hernandez led LIU with 22 points and eight rebounds, shooting 50 percent from the field.
• Junior Raiquan Clark had his third double double of the season, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Clark shot 4-for-9 from the field, and went 13-for-18 from the free throw line.
• Sophomore Jashaun Agosto had 17 points and six assists, while sophomore Julian Batts had 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, three assists and four rebounds.
• Mike Holloway Jr. led FDU as one of four players in double digits, with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
• The Knights shot over 50 percent from the field and three-point range.
• Up next, the Blackbirds host Wagner as a part of a double header with the women's team, Saturday, January 13 at 4:30 p.m.