BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team fended off a late comeback attempt by the Fairfield Stags Tuesday night, beating them on the road in Webster Bank Arena, 89-87 to improve to 3-0 early in the season. Raiquan Clark led the Blackbirds to the victory, as he scored 20 of his game-high 33 points in the second half, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 37 seconds left, and the game-winning jump shot with 1.3 seconds on the clock.

Sophomore Ty Flowers was also a big contributor in the win, with a career-high 23 points, including shooting 6-for-7 from three-point range. Senior Raul Frias (13 points) and junior Jashaun Agosto (12 points, nine assists) also scored in double digits for the Blackbirds in the victory.
 
The Blackbirds led for 37 of the game's 40 minutes, thanks in part to Flowers' hot shooting coming out in the first half. The sophomore, playing in his home state for the first time in over a year, made his first three pointers to help propel the Blackbirds into the lead. Clark also made three straight layups to help LIU take a 17-13 lead at the first media timeout of the day.
 
But as would be the story throughout the game, LIU would go on a run to widen the gulf, and Fairfield would battle back to close the gap. The Stags would use an 11-2 run of their own late in the first half to close the lead to just three points, 34-31, and from there, it stayed close, with the Blackbirds holding a 47-43 lead at the halftime break. Flowers would score 21 of his 23 points in the first half, including six three pointers.
 
If Flowers drove the bus for LIU in the first half, Clark took over in the second. LIU would open the second half on a 10-3 run, powered by seven points from Clark that would help LIU take a 13-point lead on Fairfield and force the home team to call a timeout.
 
The Blackbirds held on to the lead, but would see Fairfield string together multiple runs that would keep the game close. An 8-0 run by the Stags cut the lead to just one point, 72-71, with nine minutes left in the game. Threes from Frias and Agosto would give LIU some cushion, but in the final four minutes of the game, the home team would outscore LIU, 12-1, taking their first lead of the game with just under two minutes left to play, 85-83.
 
Clark would come in clutch for the Blackbirds in the final 40 seconds however. The senior made a three pointer with 37 seconds left to put LIU on top, 87-85. Fairfield would score the next time down the court to tie it up at 87, but that didn't stop Clark, With just over one second left and two defenders in his face, Clark would pull up at the top of the key and drain a jumper that put LIU on top, 89-87. Fairfield's last chance shot was short, and the Blackbirds won their third straight to start the season.
 
NOTES FROM THE NEST

• Clark finished just one point shy of his career high of 34 points. The senior went 14-22 from the field and 3-for-6 from long range in 30 minutes of action.
• Flowers finished shooting 8-for-11 from the field and 6-for-7 from three-point range. He also had four rebounds, an assist and a block in 36 minutes of action.
• Junior Julian Batts had nine rebounds, five steals and went 5-for-6 from the free throw line.
• Jashaun Agosto had a near double double, with 12 points and nine assists.
• Raul Frias went 4-for-9 from the field for 13 points, along with four rebounds.
• The Blackbirds shot 51.7 percent from the field as a team, including a 61.5 three-point percentage in the first half. LIU also shot 70.0 percent from the free throw line.
• Fairfield had five players score in double figures in the loss.
• Up next, the Blackbirds head west to take on the University of San Francisco, Sunday, November 18 at 10 p.m. ET.