LIU Blackbirds ~ The Leaders of the Pack

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  The Hoops of Flatbush Turn Back Second Place Wagner for Ninth Consecutive Win.  Team Remains Undefeated in Northeast Conference.



Make that nine wins in a row for the Flatbush Five.  LIU-Brooklyn won the Battle of the Boroughs this past Saturday with a 73-66 win over Wagner in Staten Island.  They improved their overall record to 14-6, and remain undefeated (8-0) and in first place within the Northeast Conference.  This latest win widens LIU's lead in the standings by two games, and drops Wagner into a four way tie for second place.  Next up for the Blackbirds is Robert Morris.  The Colonials are among those four teams currently tied in second with 6-2 records along with St. Francis (NY), and Central Connecticut State.



LIU-Brooklyn will now zero in on improving their road record (5-6) to .500 when they visit the Colonials in Pennsylvania.  Thursday's hosts come into this contest fresh off a big 81-73 overtime win over Monmouth and can close to within a game of Brooklyn with a win over the Conference leaders.



In the latest final, Julian Boyd powered the out-rebounded Blackbirds on the glass with a game leading fifteen boards to go along with his game high nineteen points.  Jamal Olasewere (18) and Jason Brickman (17) joined Boyd as Brooklyn's double-digit scorers.  Wagner posted four players in double-digits.



Brooklyn continued punishing opposing teams at the free throw line.  Hey - if teams keep insisting on sending them to the line twice as often, why not?  The Blackbirds shot 27/35 while Wagner was limited to 14/16 free throw shooting.  Their frequency at the line was the margin of difference yet again.



While Brooklyn's shooting from the field remained consistent, Wagner's shooting ran hot and cold.  They rode a hot first half touch to stay within 36-33 at halftime.  But along with Brooklyn's second half punishment at the line, Wagner lost their touch and plummeted to twenty-eight percent shooting in the second half.  Both factors working together were too much for the Seahawks to overcome.








Mike.BTB