BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team hosts Sacred Heart for the final game of the regular season in the Steinberg Wellness Center Saturday, February 24. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Prior to the game, the Blackbirds will honor the three members of the team who are playing in their last regular season game at home:
Zach Coleman,
Joel Hernandez and
Jamall Robinson.
The game has playoff implications for both teams. At 9-8, LIU is currently tied for fifth place with Robert Morris, just one game back behind St. Francis Brooklyn at 10-7. The Blackbirds could still move up to the No. 4 seed, if they win, and if both the Terriers and the Colonials lose on Saturday. Sacred Heart is still hoping for a spot in the tournament. The Pioneers need to win Saturday and hope that CCSU loses, in order to make the postseason.
QUICK HITS
- The Blackbirds snapped a three-game losing streak at home Thursday, winning the Battle of Brooklyn. The 43rd annual inter-borough game between LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn was just that: 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.
- 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.
- With the win, LIU improved to 9-2 in games played at the Steinberg Wellness Center.
- Sacred Heart is coming off a 94-84 win over Bryant. The Pioneers shot 61 percent from the field in the win, and 92 percent from the free throw line. The team made 11 three pointers, and had five players score in double figures, led by Sean Hoehn's career high 31 points.
- Earlier this year when the two teams met, LIU came out with the 69-60 win, behind Hernandez's 30-point effort. The Blackbirds survived a late surge by their opponents, as LIU led by as many as 16 points, but saw the Pioneers cut the lead to just two points midway through the second half.
- LIU scored 26 points off of Sacred Heart's 18 turnovers in the win. SHU freshman Alex Watson led SHU's late push, and finished with a team-high 15 points.