SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team wraps up their epic month-plus long time away from the Steinberg Wellness Center this Saturday, January 5. The Blackbirds (6-7, 0-1 Northeast Conference) will take on Bryant at 4 p.m., as a part of a doubleheader with the women's teams.
NOTES FROM THE NEST
- LIU led with just over a minute left to play, but couldn't finish it out, falling to Sacred Heart in their Northeast Conference opener Thursday night, 79-75. Senior Raiquan Clark led the Blackbirds in the loss, putting up 28 points.
- First half shooting proved to be the difference in the end. Both teams were over 50 percent from the field in the first stanza, but SHU shot 63.6 percent from behind the arc, compared to LIU's 8.3 percent. In the end, the Blackbirds shot just 20 percent from three-point range, along with 47.1 percent from the free throw line (8-for-17).
- LIU outscored SHU in the paint, 50-34, but the Pioneers were 19-for-24 from the free throw line (79.2 percent).
- Bryant enters Sunday's game with a 4-8 overall record, but are 1-0 in the NEC, after an emphatic 76-66 win over St. Francis Brooklyn Thursday. Prior to the SFBK win, the Bulldogs had a close loss at No. 24 Iowa, nearly beating the Hawkeyes, 72-67. Bryant is under the direction of first year head coach Jared Grosso, who spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant at Iona.
- Last year, the Blackbirds took both meetings against the Bulldogs, winning at home, 83-79, and in Smithfield, 84-71.
- Bryant is led offensively by junior guard Adam Grant, who's averaging 15.8 points per game. Also contributing for the Bulldogs are junior forward SaBastian Townes (14.3 ppg) and senior guard Byron Hawkins (13.6 ppg).
- Up next, the Blackbirds return home to the Steinberg Wellness Center for the first time since November. LIU will host the Pennsylvania contingent of the NEC, starting with Saint Francis U., Thursday, January 10 at 7 p.m.