NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team led by as many as 30 points Saturday afternoon in Detrick Gymnasium, cruising to an 84-71 win over Central Connecticut State. It was the first time this season that the Blackbirds have led for the entire 40 minutes against a Division I opponent. Five LIU players scored in double digits in the win, led by Raiquan Clark, who had a game-high 21 points.
 
Senior Raul Frias (19 points), junior Julius van Sauers (12 points), junior Jashaun Agosto (11 points) and sophomore Ty Flowers (11 points) added to the point total in the win, which moved LIU to 10-10 on the season, and 4-4 in the Northeast Conference.
 
The Blackbirds were able to take the lead in the early minutes of the game, in part because of two early threes from sophomore Ty Flowers that made it 10-6. Back-to-back buckets from Julius van Sauers and Raiquan Clark would push the lead to 17-10 with 14:13 to play.
 
CCSU would come within four, when Kashaun Hicks hit a jumper at the 10-minute mark, 23-19, but LIU scored six straight points, including a four-point play from senior Raul Frias, widening their lead to 29-19. Frias would hit another three-pointer at 6:45 that pushed LIU's lead to ten points, 34-24. Over the last five minutes of the first half, the Blackbirds would outscore the Blue Devils, 18-6, including 11 straight unanswered points that would give LIU its biggest lead of the half, 52-30. The Blackbirds led at the halftime break by 20, 52-32, their largest lead at the half so far this season.
 
CCSU seemed to start the half with a spark in their offense, but they couldn't get close enough to the Blackbirds to make a dent in the distance. And then, just before the 15-minute mark, LIU put the game out of reach for good. Sparked by a putback layup from Frias, the Blackbirds went on a 13-1 run that spanned just two minutes, and included seven points from Frias. The scoring spree gave LIU its widest lead of the game, 72-42 with 12:46 to play.
 
But CCSU wouldn't give up, and put together a scoring spree of their own. The Blue Devils answered LIU's run by scoring nine unanswered points of their own, cutting the lead to 72-51, and forcing LIU to call a timeout.
 
Over the last five minutes of the game, the home team would outscore LIU 15-7, including a 6-0 run at one point, but the divide was too great to overcome, and the Blackbirds took the win, 84-71.
 
NOTES FROM THE NEST

• The 20-point lead at halftime was the biggest lead for the Blackbirds this season, surpassing the 19-point advantage LIU had over the College of New Rochelle in the season opener.
• It was also the most points scored by LIU in a first half against a D1 opponent this season, and the second most in either half all season, behind the 57 points the Blackbirds scored in the second half of their win over Albany.
• It was the first time this season that LIU has led wire-to-wire against a Division I opponent this season.
• Senior Raiquan Clark led all scorers with 21 points, on 9-of-14 shooting, along with six rebounds and three steals. It is his sixth straight game scoring 20 points or more.
• Senior Raul Frias had 19 points, including four three pointers, finishing just shy of his career-high of 21 points. Frias also had a team-high seven rebounds, along with four steals.
• Junior Julius van Sauers had 12 points for the Blackbirds, shooting 4-for-5 from the field, while sophomore Ty Flowers had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
• Junior Jashaun Agosto once again flirted with a double-double, finishing with 11 points and seven assists, as well as four rebounds.
• Sophomore Eral Penn tied his career-high with four blocks, and also had four points and four rebounds, while junior Julian Batts had six points, six rebounds and four assists.
• CCSU had four players in double figures, led by Joe Hugley and Tyler Kohl with 16 and 15 respectively.
• Up next, LIU travels across the Hudson to take on Fairleigh Dickinson, Thursday, January 31 in a game that will air on ESPN U at 5 p.m.