BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn men's basketball team led by as many as ten points at home Saturday afternoon, but couldn't withstand Wagner's late run, and fell to the Seahawks, 68-65. Senior Raiquan Clark was one of three Blackbirds in double digits, as he scored a game-high 21 points, while senior Raul Frias had 14 points, and junior Julian Batts added 10 points. With the loss, LIU moves to 11-13, and 5-7 in the Northeast Conference.
 
The game, which saw two 5-7 teams jostling for an advantage in the NEC standings, was a battle from start to finish, as the lead changed hands 15 times, and the game saw a tie score 12 different times. Wagner, who won the last meeting between the two teams last week, opened the game on a 6-2 run to take the early advantage, but LIU would answer with a 6-2 run of its own that tied the game up at 8.

Sophomore Ty Flowers would give LIU the lead with a three pointer at 15:18 that made it 13-10. Less than a minute later, the Blackbirds put together a scoring spree, putting up nine unanswered points in under two minutes to take a 22-15 lead on the Seahawks. Wagner would start to climb out of the hole, and came back within five points, 29-24 at 6:59, but the Blackbirds would hold them off for the rest of the half, and lead at the break, 34-28.

LIU's defense would force 10 Wagner turnovers in the first half, while LIU limited their own turnovers to just five in the first 20 minutes. But that would change in the second half, as the Seahawks would not turn the ball over again for the rest of the game.
 
Coming out of the halftime break, Wagner opened the stanza scoring five unanswered points in the first two minutes to close the lead to one point, 34-33. But LIU would manage to hang on to their lead for the first few minutes of the half. It wasn't until the 16 minute mark that the Seahawks started to do real damage. Wagner would score six straight points to retake the lead for the first time since early in the game, 41-38.
 
From there, the two teams went back and forth, and neither team would lead by more than three points for the rest of the game. Whenever one team went up, the other would answer with a bucket to close the gap or tie the game up. LIU looked like it would have the advantage in the end, when junior Julian Batts hit a jumper at 3:19, and sophomore Eral Penn followed that up with two made free throws to give LIU a 65-63 lead, but 21 seconds later, Wagner hit a three pointer that would tie it up, 65-65 with two minutes to play. 
 
The Seahawks would score a late layup to take a two-point advantage with 90 seconds on the clock, but missed converting on free throws in the final 20 seconds to give LIU a shot at the win. With 18 seconds left, a Wagner player missed two free throws, and LIU got the rebound, but turned the ball over with 12 seconds left to play. After fouling the next time down the court, the Blackbirds had another chance at the win, as Wagner's shooter made the first free throw, but missed the second. LIU brought the ball down the court, but the Seahawk defense wouldn't let the Blackbirds' attempt a late three successfully, and Wagner took the late win, 68-65.
 
NOTES FROM THE NEST

• Senior Raiquan Clark scored 12 of his 21 points in the first half Saturday. He shot 10-for-13 from the free throw line, and also had seven rebounds and three assists.
• Senior Raul Frias scored in double digits for the fifth straight game, as he had 14 points, including four three pointers made. The senior was 4-for-7 from long range, and 5-for-9 from the field.
• Junior Julian Batts had 10 points for LIU, while junior Jashaun Agosto had six assists. Sophomore Ty Flowers chipped in seven points, while sophomore Eral Penn had six points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
• Wagner was led by three players in double digits.
• Up next, the Blackbirds will take on local rival St. Francis Brooklyn on Valentine's Day. LIU will travel less than a mile down the road to Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights, to take on the Terriers in the Pope PE Center, Thursday February 14 at 7 p.m.