LIU Blackbirds ~ Loss to Monmouth was an Unpolished Finish

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS:  That Was Quite a Lackadaisical Way to End a Second Title Bearing Regular Season Effort.

Regular Season Final Game:

LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds   78

Monmouth Hawks   106

In the end, it's best the defending Northeast Conference champs saved their worst for last.  For had this been one road game earlier, Saturday would have provided the regular season with a far different finish.  Was that the exhale factor LIU just suffered on the heels of winning their second consecutive regular season title?  Because me? -  I wouldn't be happy if I were Coach Ferry; not when Saturday's game versus Monmouth ended up as the worst loss of the season.  Not when the Blackbirds gave up a season high 106 points to the NEC's seventh seeded team.



In light of all the good they've collectively and individually achieved so far together this season, they were all guilty; the starters and bench included; of what I like to call - apathy.  Jamal Olasewere; Julian Boyd; Jason Brickman; C.J. Garner; Michael Culpo; and their three most prominent bench players - Brandon Thompson; Kenny Onyechi; and Arnold Mayorga; all played roles in a rather sloppy and unpolished finish.  With the NEC tournament right around the corner, if I'm thinking like a coach, I'm not liking this one bit.  And I'm sure Coach Ferry didn't as well.  Saturday's effort is not the way I would have appreciated my team closing out such a successful regular season.  I'm thinking Coach Ferry taught them better than that.



Was the game itself inconsequential?  Yes, it was.  LIU clinched the regular season title in their prior game against Fairleigh Dickinson.  And Wagner lost Saturday to Central Connecticut State as well.  I guess they too exhaled, satisfied that their two seed was secure.  But no, as things went, either way the outcome of Saturday's game against Monmouth would have changed nothing.



But in this last game, particularly in the second half,  LIU's indifference was not only glaring, but backed up by the numbers.  Brooklyn had twenty-three turnovers; Monmouth fourteen.  Monmouth scored thirty-three points off turnovers to Brooklyn's thirteen.  Monmouth scored twenty-five fast break points to Brooklyn's six.  Monmouth had forty-six points off the bench.  Brooklyn had twenty three.  In a game they spent most of the time trailing, the Blackbirds were within one point of Monmouth with 17:47 left in the second half.  With 1:37 left in the game, LIU was down by thirty-three points.  So no, when you fight back to overcome a fifteen point first half lead and get it down to six by the half, then close to within one point in the opening minutes of the second half, only to wind up getting blown out, I'm forced to question one night's motivation and potential haste to end the season.



But I won't make more this than it is.  It's one night.  It's just the sour taste that lingers because I believe in strong finishes.  And this game, on the outside looking in, seems like one they let get away.  That's all.  But for the moment, as long as I'm thinking like a coach, this is a great time for a complete  over-reaction, and to give these kids a figurative boot in the posterior while I reprogram their heads for tournament play.  Can I at least get a buffet table please?



LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS:  NEC Regular Season Final Record

2nd Consecutive Regular Season Title.

Overall Record:  22-8  (Wagner finished 24-5 overall)
Conference Record:  16-2  1st
Home Record:  12-0  (24-0 last two regular seasons)*
Away Record:  8-8
Neutral Site:  2-0



* CORRECTION - See comment below.



Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ One More for the Road

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  A Long and Winding Road Finally Ends Tonight in Norfolk, Virginia.


Things didn't go so well for the Blackbirds in their last game against Columbia.  They fell 63-53 to the Lions squad hailing out of the Manhattan college.  And in doing so, dropped their season record to five wins and five losses.  The loss also snaps a three game winning streak.


Jamal Olasewere led the Blackbirds in scoring with eighteen points and pulled down six defensive rebounds.  Kenny Onyechi followed with twelve points, and equalled Jamal's rebound totals with six of his own.  Brandon Thompson gained a team high in rebounds with seven on the night.  Arnold Mayorga was the third Blackbird to score in double digits.  He contributed eleven buckets.


The LIU back-court was held all too quiet on the night.  Jason Brickman and Michael Culpo were held to a combined eight points and a dreadful five assists.  Of the two, only Jason Brickman was able to get to the line dropping two free throws in four attempts.  Jason's team high four assists were cancelled out by five turnovers.


Next up, the Boys from Flatbush head to Virgina for a Wednesday night game versus Norfolk State.  This game will conclude a start to their season in which they will have played ten of their first eleven games on the road.  Then, they'll finally get to hang around their downtown Brooklyn campus for three consecutive, out of conference games before their NEC schedule starts-up in earnest.


The Norfolk State Spartans enter the game with a 6-4 record; fresh off a 73-60 loss to Virginia Tech.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT HOOPS

LIU BLACKBIRDS
vs.

Norfolk State Spartans

Mike.BTB

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