BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team will host a huge Northeast Conference contest in the Steinberg Wellness Center Saturday afternoon, squaring off with Robert Morris in a doubleheader with the women's teams. The men's game, which could have major postseason implications, is set to tip off at 4:30 p.m. The Blackbirds, winners of four straight games, could move into sole possession of third place in the standings with a win.
NOTES FROM THE NEST
- For the second time in as many games, LIU scored first and led wire-to-wire, beating Saint Francis U., 83-67 at home Thursday night. The win moved the Blackbirds to 13-13 on the season, and 8-5 in the NEC. LIU is now in a two-way tie with St. Francis Brooklyn for third place in the standings, just one game back from Mount St. Mary's with five games left in the regular season.
- The win was a total team effort for the Blackbirds in the Steinberg Wellness Center. Senior Joel Hernandez led all scorers with 25 points, along with six rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Jashaun Agosto added 19 points and eight rebounds, while junior Raiquan Clark had 12 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double double of the season.
- Robert Morris enters Saturday's contest looking to snap a losing skid. After starting the NEC season 7-2, the Colonials have lost the last four straight, and are scrambling to find their footing. RMU is 13-13 on the season, and 7-6 in the league, tied for fifth place with SFU.
- Injuries and inexperience have cost Robert Morris in their losses to Wagner (77-64), Mount (67-42), FDU (73-67), and most recently, St. Francis Brooklyn (77-65).
- Holding steady for RMU is sophomore guard Dachon Burke, who leads the team in scoring. He's averaging 16.8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. Saturday at SFBK, he led the team with a career-high 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and eight rebounds. He's led his team in scoring in the last three straight games.
- Last time LIU and RMU faced off in Pittsburg in January, the Colonials came out on top 88-79. The contest, which was closer than the final score indicated, saw the lead change hands 21 times throughout the night, in a game that looked like it would come down to the final possession. But the Colonials would string together a 7-1 run in the final three minutes that put the game out of reach for LIU. Burke had a team-high 20 points, as one of five RMU players to score in double digits in the victory.
- Up next, the Blackbirds travel down the road to take on St. Francis Brooklyn, Thursday, February 15 at 7 p.m.