LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds Win Northeast Conference Title

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!

2017 - 2018

Northeast Conference Champions

LIU BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS

1984      1997      2011      2012      2013

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Derek Kellogg leads Flatbush to its sixth ever NEC title in his first season as head coach.

Wagner and LIU had previously split their regular season series with each team successfully protecting home court.  LIU outlasted Wagner back in January at the WRAC, then bowed to the Seahawks at Staten Island.

To date, that remains LIU's last loss.

Since falling to Wagner on Feb. 17, the Blackbirds proceeded to win four in a row in the games leading up to last Tuesday's Northeast Conference final.  However, all four victories occurred home at the WRAC.  Brooklyn had only gone 5-11 on the road this season, and were headed back to Staten Island for one last game (which TeamRankings.com only gave them a roughly 22 percent chance of winning).

FINAL

Blackbirds  71

Seahawks    61

It took 2:48 minutes, but top-seeded Wagner finally opened the scoring with a three-pointer.  They still maintained a 9-7 lead by the 13:19 mark.  But after a Joel Hernandez jumper put LIU ahead 9-8 just over a minute later, the Seahawks would never again lead in this game. 

Raiquan Clark closed out the first half with a three-pointer giving LIU a 34-18 lead and a sixteen point advantage.

Wagner shot a mere (7/33) 21.2 percent from the field, and were just (2/14) 14.3 percent from three-point range in the first half.  Despite seven less field goal attempts and getting out-rebounded, the Blackbirds were (13/26) fifty-percent from the field, and (4/11) 36.4 percent from beyond the arch.

In the second half, the best the Seahawks would do is get within seven points of LIU, but no more.  A pair of Wagner free three throws at 4:37 made the score 57-50 in LIU's favor, whom then went on an 8-2 run to go up by thirteen with 2:20 remaining on the clock.  Wagner again made it a seven point deficit with 1:04 to go.  But Brooklyn would effectively close things out at the free throw line en route to a ten point margin of victory.

Just as in the first half, Wagner put up more shots than did LIU but continued failing at finding their range.  The Seahawks were only a slightly improved (14/37) 37.8 percent from the field, but just (4/19) 21.1 percent on three-point attempts in the second half. 

Brooklyn, meanwhile, improved to (12/21) 57.1 percent from the field in the second half.  They only put up a trio of three-point attempts, but more importantly converted on (12/17) 70.6 percent from the charity line.

Overall, Wagner out-rebounded LIU, scored more second-chance points, created more steals, scored more points off turnovers, committed less turnovers, distributed more assists, and even outscored LIU 43-37 in the second half.  They simply picked a bad time to lose their touch.  They shot just (21/70) thirty percent from the field, and connected on just (6/33) 18.2 percent from three-point range. 

Although LIU took 23 less overall shots, the Blackbirds were 53.2 percent from the floor, and 35.7 percent from beyond the arch.  Brooklyn also managed 24 attempts from the free throw line, seven more than Wagner whom finished with 17 attempts.

Joel Hernandez was named NEC tournament MVP after leading all players with 32 points, and securing seven rebounds.  He played a particularly major role from the free throw line, converting on eleven of his game high fourteen attempts.  Raiquan Clark was second with seven attempts from the stripe.  He added twenty points and eight rebounds (seven defensive).

From fourth seed to champion, the LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds defeat the NEC's regular season champ and number one seed Wagner College from Staten Island.  The Battle of the Boroughs is done. Brooklyn wins their sixth Northeast Conference title, and their first since 2013 when they capped off a three year run as NEC champs.

• Quarterfinals: LIU 73; Saint Francis Brooklyn 50
• Semifinals: LIU 78; Fairleigh Dickinson University 77
• Conference Finals: LIU 71; Wagner College 61

This will be head coach Derek Kellogg's second ever trip to the NCAA tournament.  However, he wins his first ever conference title in only his first season with the Blackbirds.  Prior to Brooklyn, he previously coached the UMass Minutemen for nine seasons whom qualified for the 2013-2014 NCAA tourney as a buy-in.

The Blackbirds are now 18-16 on the season, and winners of five in a row.