LIU Blackbirds ~ The Flatbush Five Win Third Straight

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  Getting Things Turned Around After 0-3 Start.  The Flatbush Hoops Take Their Three Game Win Streak and a 5-4 Record into Manhattan for an Inner-City Tip-Off Against Columbia.

 

Since their opening night win at the Wellness Center on December 1st against Wagner, the Blackbirds have since been on the road again and won't return to Brooklyn until December 17th.  By then they will have completed a stretch of ten road games in their first eleven scheduled games to start the season.

 

The collegiate Hoops of Flatbush made their first stop in Maryland last Saturday to take-on Mount St. Mary's in their second consecutive in-Conference game.  Julian Boyd was without a doubt the MPIC of this game; the Main Player in Charge..that is.  This was his game for everyone to hang around and watch as he dropped in a game high twenty-two points and pulled down a similarly game high thirteen rebounds; with eight on the defensive end.  LIU's Michael Culpo was the next high man in scoring for Long Island with eighteen buckets to his credit. Third in was Jamal Olasewere with seventeen points.  The Blackbirds finished off St. Mary's 85-76 for their second NEC win in as many in-conference games.

 

Then the off-Flatbush Hoopsters won their third consecutive ball game this past Monday night, narrowly defeating Lafayette 82-80 out in Easton, Pennsylvania.  Three LIU players scored over fifteen points with F-Julian Boyd leading the way with eighteen.  F-Jamal Olasewere and G-C.J. Garner dropped in seventeen and sixteen points respectively.  With eleven points, Arnold Mayorga was the fourth Blackbird to achieve double digit scoring in twenty-two minutes of floor time.

In addition to his 17 points, Jamal Olasewere dominated the boards pulling down a game high fourteen rebounds; twelve coming on the defensive end.  Jason Brickman also had a game high 9 assists to help LIU pull out the very close victory.

Next on their itinerary, the Blackbirds catch a small break with a short venture into Manhattan where they'll take on Columbia this coming Saturday.  They'll have another game in Virginia against Norfolk State after that.  When Brooklyn's collegians finally do return home on Dec.17th, they'll play three in a row at the Ashland Avenue Gym.  And then finally, their NEC schedule finally cranks-up in earnest.

So after losing their first three games of the season, the Blackbirds seemingly have things turned around and are in the midst's of a three game win streak.  They've improved their record to 5-4, but more importantly, they are 2-0 within the conference.

 

Mike.BTB