LIU Blackbirds ~ Brooklyn Denied a Tenth Straight Win

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:   The Flatbush Five Have Their Nine Game Win Streak Stopped in Pennsylvania.



Last night's game against Robert Morris was on TV, and well, wouldn't you know.....?



LIU's first NEC loss came at the hands of the Robert Morris University Colonials Thursday night.  So what did a nine game winning streak and being undefeated in their conference get the Blackbirds?  After last night, all that hard work only gets them a one game lead in the NEC over what is now a three team pack consisting of last night's opponent; Robert Morris; Wagner; and St. Francis (NY); who all won to stay on LIU's tails with 7-2 records.  Central Connecticut State lost their last game and dropped to third with a 6-3 record.  Brooklyn now sports an 8-1 Conference record.  The loss also drops them to 14-7 overall this season.  And they failed to get their road record (5-7) back to the .500 mark.



The Blackbirds were just plain off to start the first ten minutes of the game or so.  Robert Morris was up by nine with around thirteen minutes left in the first half and never looked back.  At one point the Colonials were up by fifteen points in the second half.  And as much as Julian Boyd and the Blackbirds tried, they could get no closer than five points before Robert Morris pulled away.  Even Coach Ferry got T'd up along the way.



LIU never enjoyed a lead Thursday night, and only managed to tie the score once all game; back when both teams were knotted at three apiece.  Robert Morris won with defense and rained three's all night long.  Their bench scoring torched LIU's bench, outscoring them 22-7.  Ultimately however, a bad start to this game and a 34-26 deficit at half-time was more than LIU could over come for they ended the second half 41-40 in the Colonials' favor.  Final score; 75-66.



Juilan Boyd finished with twenty-five points and Jamal Olaswere dropped another eighteen points as the only two Blackbirds to score in double digits.  Additionally, Julian Boyd was the only player last night to register a double in rebounding with twelve.



Before coming back to the Ashland Place Gym, the Blackbirds have one more stop in Loretto, Pennsylvania this Saturday evening for a game against St. Francis (PA) who are tied with Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart with 4-5 records for fifth place in the conference.





Mike.BTB