ESPN3 Game Highlights
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The 43
rd annual Battle of Brooklyn game between LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn was just that Thursday night: a battle. The Blackbirds and the Terriers clashed in a contest in front of a rowdy crowd in the Steinberg Wellness Center that never saw a lead of more than six points. But for the second year in a row, it was LIU that would come out on top, as the Blackbirds earn borough bragging rights by beating SFBK, 81-76.
Senior
Joel Hernandez was named the Lai-Lynch Battle of Brooklyn MVP, as he led LIU with 23 points, including five in the last 17 seconds of the game to help seal the win.
The victory snapped a three game losing streak for the Blackbirds, and moved them to 9-6 in Northeast Conference action. LIU is now tied for fifth place in the standings with Robert Morris with one game left to play in the regular season. Wagner, SFU and Mount have all clinched hosting for the quarterfinals, but the fourth seed still has yet to be determined. Both RMU and LIU are just one game behind St. Francis Brooklyn, who moved to 10-7 in the NEC with the loss.
The Blackbirds led for most of the game Thursday night, but never by more than a few points. The Terriers put up their best effort to beat the Blackbirds, putting up 86 shots to LIU's 47. But St. Francis shot just 34.9 percent from the field, and the Terriers went 4-for-30 from three-point range (13.3 percent).
St. Francis was able to keep it close, however, because of LIU's 20 turnovers. The Terriers would score 26 points off of Blackbird bobbles to stay within striking range the entire game.
Throughout the game, LIU would build up a lead of five or six points, before seeing the Terriers come charging back to come within one or tie it up. St. Francis would take the lead just once in the game, midway through the second half. An 8-2 run by the Terriers would put them up, 65-63 with 6:52 to play. But sophomore
Jashaun Agosto hit a layup to tie it up, and a minute later, Hernandez hit a three pointer to give the Blackbirds the lead once more, 68-66.
And though a late three from the Terriers would close the lead to two points with 49 seconds left, Hernandez would score five points in the final 17 seconds to help clinch the win, 81-76.
NOTES FROM THE NEST
- Joel Hernandez finished with a team-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting.
- St. Francis's Rasheen Dunn led all scorers with 24 points for the Terriers.
- Junior Raiquan Clark had 18 points and 14 rebounds for his seventh double double of the season. Clark had most of his points from the free throw line, where he went 12-for-18.
- Jashaun Agosto shot 7-of-14 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range to finish with 18 points. The sophomore also had five rebounds.
- Sophomore Julian Batts had a box-score filling game, with 13 points, six assists, four rebounds and a career-high three blocks.
- Senior Zach Coleman had a huge defensive game for the Blackbirds, with 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, along with five points and two assists.
- The Terriers out-rebounded LIU 46-40, including a 28-11 advantage in offensive boards. The Blackbirds had the advantage on the free throw line, shooting 35 free throws to SFBK's 17, thanks in part to first half foul trouble for the visitors.
- With the win, LIU improves to 9-2 in games played at the Steinberg Wellness Center.
- Up next, the Blackbirds host Sacred Heart for the final game of the regular season, Saturday, February 24 at 2 p.m. Prior to the game, LIU will honor three graduating players: Zach Coleman, Joel Hernandez and Jamall Robinson.