BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team had their four-game win streak snapped in the Steinberg Wellness Center Saturday afternoon, as the visiting Robert Morris Colonials beat the Blackbirds, 96-82. RMU shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the victory, including 66.7 percent from three-point range, and hit a season-high team point total to beat LIU. With the defeat, LIU moves to 13-14 overall, and 8-6 in the Northeast Conference, in a four-way tie for third place with four games left.
 
Neither team would be able to get much momentum going in the contest, as the refs called a combined 55 fouls, but when there was momentum to have, it was Robert Morris who would capitalize on it. The visitors opened the game on a 12-4 run, and never once gave up the lead.
 
LIU used an 8-1 run at the 13-minute mark to get back in the game, sparked by a three from senior Joel Hernandez, and two assists from senior Zach Coleman. Coleman's free throw at 11:45 would bring LIU within one, 13-12, but RMU hit back-to-back threes to retake control. The Colonials would use a 15-1 run to take their widest lead of the day, 31-14 at the seven-minute mark. But in the final six minutes of the first half, LIU used a 15-4 run to close the lead to single digits. Hernandez would drain a three in the final minutes that cut the lead to just seven points, and LIU would trail at the halftime break, 40-31.
 
LIU continued to battle in the second half. Despite an early surge from RMU that put the visitors up by 12 points, the Blackbirds would continue to fight back every time. Sophomore Julian Batts would hit threes at 17:01 and 15:47 that would bring LIU within eight both times. And Hernandez had a breakaway dunk at 12:45 that would make it 57-50. Just over a minute later, freshman Eral Penn had another dunk that brought LIU within five points, 60-55. Another three from RMU widened the lead, but junior Raiquan Clark would lay the ball up, and on the next time down the court, Penn stole the ball and passed it to junior Raul Frias, who slammed it home to make it 64-59 with 10:40 to play. A minute later, Frias brought his team as close as they would come, with a three-pointer that made it 68-64 with 9:26 on the clock.
 
But every time the Blackbirds seemed to find momentum, a tough call from the refs or a Robert Morris three would be there to stop the spree. And in the final three minutes of the game, the visitors used one final run to put the game out of reach. RMU would score eight unanswered points to go up, 93-78 with 1:37 to play, and the Colonials kept their distance for the last 90 seconds, winning, 96-82.
 
NOTES FROM THE NEST

• RMU's Dachon Burke had a career-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting to lead all scorers.
• Joel Hernandez led LIU with 23 points. Sophomore Julian Batts had 18 points and six rebounds, while junior Raiquan Clark had 16 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Jashaun Agosto added 10 points and four assists.
• Up next, LIU travels down Fulton Street to take on local foe St. Francis Brooklyn, Thursday, February 15 at 7 p.m.