BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team will play their first game in Brooklyn in over a month, as the Blackbirds welcome Binghamton to Barclays Center for an Empire State showdown, Friday, December 21 at 12 p.m.
NOTES FROM THE NEST
- The Blackbirds are coming off a tough road loss that capped a four-game road swing, 83-79 at Stony Brook.
- Senior Raiquan Clark scored his 1,000th career point at the Island Federal Arena, scoring 19 points as one of four Blackbirds in double digits, but it wasn't enough, as Stony Brook rallied late to take the win at home, 83-79. LIU led by as many as 12 points in the second half, but the Seawolves ended the game on a hot streak, improving to 9-2 on the season, while the Blackbirds move to 5-5.
- Jashaun Agosto led LIU with 19 points, five assists and three rebounds. The junior went 8-for-12 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range.
- Junior Raul Frias had his second-straight game in double digits, adding 17 points in the loss. Frias went 6-for-6 from the field, including four three pointers made.
- Sophomore Ty Flowers had 17 points, shooting 5-for-7 from three-point range. Junior Julius van Sauers had a team-high six rebounds along with four assists and six points.
- It was one of LIU's better shooting performances of the year, as the Blackbirds shot 55.1 percent from the field, and 50.0 percent from long range.
- Binghamton comes to Barclays Center for the first time, looking to snap a four-game losing streak. The Bearcats are 3-9 this season, including 0-5 on the road, most recently having fallen at Notre Dame, 69-56. But they are 1-0 against NEC teams this year, having beaten Sacred Heart, 78-73 in November.
- LIU and BU have faced off five times since 2002, when the series began. Binghamton leads the series, 3-2, but LIU has the most recent win, having beaten the Bearcats on the road last year. LIU shot 61 percent in the second half to pull away, beating BU, 74-66.
- BU was picked to finish sixth of nine teams in the America East Preseason coaches' poll.
- The Bearcats are led by freshman guard Sam Sessoms, who is averaging 18.3 points per game this season, along with a team-high 39 assists and 11 steals. Senior guard JC Show is the only other BU player in double digits, averaging 10.8 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game.
- Senior forwards Chancellor Barnard and Caleb Stewart are the team's next two top contributors, both averaging around 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The duo also rank third and fourth in the conference in blocks per game, and are a large reason why the team has racked up 78 blocks as a team this season. Binghamton currently averages 6.5 blocks per game this year, an average that ranks them fourth in the nation in the category.
- Up next, the Blackbirds have an eight day break, before they travel to the Bronx to play Fordham, Sunday, December 30 at 7 p.m.