LIU Blackbirds Routed By Temple Owls At Barclays Center

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

Saturday Final:

Temple Owls     101

LIU Blackbirds  65

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS: The Numbers Are Sickly.

Saturday, Barclays Center hosted a battle of the birds.  The LIU Blackbirds made the short trek south along Flatbush Avenue to host the Temple Owls.

Apparently, old habits are hard to break.  Despite last meeting over 40 years ago, Temple nonetheless picked up where they left off, securing their fourth victory in four attempts over the Blackbirds.  Here for the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational, The Owls were not kind about it either.  Patrons of the Kings County arena were witness to a rout.  Temple dismantled host LIU/Brooklyn by a 101-65 margin.

Little went right for the Blackbirds.  In fact, the numbers are sickly.  LIU was outscored 38-22 in the first half, and 63-43 in the second half.  At one point, Temple led by as many as 45 points, and collectively outscored LIU 38-20 in the paint.

In the first half, LIU shot just 23.8%, and for the game, shot a miserable 28.8% from the floor on just 17/59 shooting.  Ditto from beyond the arch, managing just 5/26, for 19.2% shooting.

The Owls dissected LIU with 22 assists, versus just 9 for LIU.  Jason Brickman, who tied for game high, had 6 of them.  Gerrell Martin was the only other LIU starter to record an assist.  Off the bench, Glenn Feidanga and D.J. Griggs recorded one each.

Gerrell Martin and E.J. Reed both tied for the team lead with 13 points.  With ten points, Troy Joseph was the only other Blackbird to score in double-digits.  Jason Brickman finished with nine.  E.J. Reed also pulled down a game high 12 rebounds.

LIU played most of the second half without starter Landon Atterberry, who fouled out after totaling just 7 minutes of play, and Glenn Feidanga, who fouled out as well.

All five Temple starters scored in double digits, led by Dalton Pepper's game high 26 points, who shot 10/12 from the field, and 6/8 from beyond the three.  Pepper also pulled down 10 rebounds, all on the defensive glass.

The LIU Blackbirds record now stands at a 4-7, with two more out of conference games left to play in December, both in the Lone Star State, versus South Houston State, and Texas State.  While the situation is far from dire, there is hope for the Blackbirds season yet.  The team expects sixth year senior forward Julian Boyd to make his return from injury in January, hopefully in time to begin their conference schedule.



Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: Gerrell Martin Nails Buzzer Beater, Gives Flatbush Victory

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Brooklyn Buzzer Beater!

WEDNESDAY FINAL:

LAMAR      79

Blackbirds   82

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS: Gerrell Martin Buries Three-Pointer With 0:01, To Raise The Roof On The Ashland Place Gymnasium.

The Blackbirds trailed by eight points at the half versus the Cardinals of Lamar, but turned the tables with a 48-37 second half, to gain victory in their return to the Ashland Place Gym.

LIU led for the first ten minutes, until Lamar tied the game 14-14.  The Blackbirds were up again 25-23 with 6:30 to go, then Lamar buried a pair of three-pointers to pull ahead by a 29-25 score.  They outscored LIU 13-9 to close out the half, earning a 42-34 advantage.

The Blackbirds opened the second half on a 12-4 run, to tie the game at 46-46, with 16:02 to go.  When LIU fell behind again, Jason Brickman's free throws tied the game at 57-57, with 10:13 to play.  After a three-pointer at the other end, E.J. Reed buried a three of his own for LIU, knotting the score again at 60-60.  Things remained close down the stretch, but Brooklyn maintained a 22-19 lead over the final stretch of the game.

Four of five LIU starters scored in double-digits, led by E.J. Reed's 19 points.  Jason Brickman went double-double, with 12 assists, and 17 points.  Landon Atterberry matched Jason with 17 points, and tied with Troy Joseph with a team high 6 rebounds.  In the waning minutes, Gerrell Martin became the deciding factor.  He scored 12 points on the night, but 8 of those came in a flurry with under four minutes to go.

A brutal LIU turnover led to Lamar's Nimrod Hilliard's layup, which tied the game 79-79, with just 0:05 left on the clock.  Then with time expiring, Jason Brickman promptly fed Gerrell Martin at the other end, who nailed a jumper from beyond the arch, to give LIU a last second, 82-79 victory.

LIU improved to 4-6 on the season, while the Lamar Cardinals dropped to a 1-9 record.

LIU Blackbirds Hold On For 96-93 Victory Over NJIT

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

THURSDAY FINAL:

LIU Blackbirds      96

NJIT Highlanders  93

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS: Iverson Fleming Provides 22 Points Off The Bench, As Flatbush Hoops Gain Third Victory Of Season Over NJIT Highlanders.

The LIU Blackbirds have so far gotten off to a rough start to their 2013-14 regular season.  They began the month of December with a victory over Norfolk State, but then dropped two straight to Seton Hall and Lehigh.

Sporting an overall 2-6 record, the Blackbirds were back in Newark, New Jersey, this evening to take on the NJIT Highlanders.

At 18:02 of the opening half, NJIT owned a 4-1 lead.  LIU then went ahead 5-4 on a Gilbert Parga lay-up.  After the Highlanders Terrence Smith made it a 6-5 game, E.J. Reed converted at the other end with a layup at 15:22 to put Brooklyn ahead by a 7-6 score.  LIU would never trail again.

At 7:43, Iverson Fleming's layup gave LIU a 29-19 lead, and by 6:17, Jason Brickman's three pointer opened up a thirteen point lead, in a 35-22 game.  Glenn Feidanga's layup at 4:08 gave LIU their largest lead of the half - fourteen points.  Those also just happened to be Feidanga's only two points of the game.  The Blackbirds then closed out the half with a 10-point lead, outscoring NJIT by a 42-32 margin.

The second half was a much more tightly contested affair, and with 1:14 left, NJIT had surged to within 81-78, outscoring the Blackbirds 46-42 to that point in the half.

With just 0:05 left on the clock, NJIT's Terrence Smith's layup made it a 94-93 game in LIU's favor.  But at the other end, Iverson Fleming naturally was fouled, and converted on two clutch free throws to extend Brooklyn's lead by three, while leaving just 0:02 on the clock.  The game then went final with LIU winning 96-93 over the Highlanders.

NJIT outscored the Blackbirds 61-54 in the second half.  They were led by guard Winfield Willis, who led all scorers with 28 points off the bench.  Terrence Smith contributed 14 points in defeat, and Ky Howard was second on the team with 17 points.

Iverson Fleming led the Blackbirds with 22 points off the bench, on an excellent 8/11 shooting from the field, 2/4 from three point range, and 4/4 from the line.  Jason Brickman was next with 21 points, and led all players with 6 assists.

In all, the Blackbirds had six players score in double-digits.  Off the bench, Gilbert Parga contributed another 14 points.  Of the starters, E.J. Reed dropped 12 points, while Landon Atterberry and Gerrell Martin both added 10 points each.

NJIT had more assists than LIU, 17-14, and took more shots from the field.  LIU was 32/55, for a stellar 58.2% from the field.  NJIT was 34/65, for a 52.3% from the field.  Both teams inflicted equal damage from three-point land, but LIU won the battle of the boards, by a 36-24 margin.

Next up, the Blackbirds return to the Ashland Place Gym, where they will host the Lamar Cardinals next Wednesday.  LIU will then play two more games in December before kicking off their in-conference schedule versus St. Francis-Brooklyn in January.



Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: Eaten Up By UC Irvine Anteaters; Face Eastern Washington Tonight

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FRIDAY FINAL

LIU Blackbirds   64

UC Irvine            84

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS: Anteaters Feast On The Boards, Shoot 55% from Floor, As LIU Falls By Twenty.

The following goes for the pro team that plays further down Flatbush Avenue as well.  When you only shoot 34% from the field, odds are you're going to loose, unless, you compensate on defense, dominate the boards, and/or get to the line and bury free throws.

Playing their first game since facing the Indiana Hoosiers ten days ago, perhaps rust played a major roll in LIU's defeat.  Gerrell Martin led the team with 27 minutes, and led the Blackbirds with 12 shots, but only two found net.  E.J. Reed, who led LIU in points over the first two games, was only 2/9 from the field.  Jason Brickman endured a relatively silent night, scoring just two points in 26 minutes, but issued a game high 6 assists.  All together, the Blackbirds were an ice cold 21/61 from the field.

Landon Atterberry led the Blackbirds with 14 points.  Gilbert Parga was the only other Blackbird in double-digit scoring, with 10 points. 

The Anteaters had four players score in double-digits, led by Chris McNealy's 15 points, while UC Irvine shot 55% from the field, converting on 33/60 shot attempts.

The Blackbirds additionally got crushed on the boards by a 44-29 margin.  UC Irvine's Will Davis II pulled down a game high 8 rebounds, while Glenn Feidanga pulled down 7 for LIU.  Effective ball distribution also foiled LIU.  UC Irvine shared and passed the ball to the tune of 25 assists, while LIU only had 11 team assists.

Next up, the Blackbirds will remain in Irvine, California, to face the Eastern Washington Eagles this evening.  They will then wrap up the 2K Sports Classic on Sunday versus Boston University.

TONIGHT

 

Eastern Washington Eagles

vs.

LIU Blackbirds

FROM

The Left Coast

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: West Coast Tip-Off Versus UC Irvine Anteaters

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

TONIGHT

 

LIU BLACKBIRDS
vs.

UC Irvine Anteaters

FROM

The Left Coast

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS: California, Here They Come.

I'm sorry, but ten days is too long of a wait between games, especially as the Blackbirds pushed the Indiana Hoosiers to their limits last time on the floor, albeit in defeat, and in hostile territory no less.  LIU put themselves into a great position to win, and lost on nothing more than a missed shot at the end.  So, there's much about that game for the Blackbirds to feel good about, and build upon.

You might say Coach Perri's crew restarts their season this evening.  Jason Brickman and the young Blackbirds of LIU are out west in California to oppose the UC Irvine Anteaters.  The Anteaters hail out of the Big West Conference, and enter tonight's game with a 2-2 non-conference record.  The Blackbirds hold an early lead in NEC Conference with a 1-1 non-conference record.

LIU will definitely have their hands full tonight.  The Gladiators' 54% field goal percentage is 8th best in the country, and their 20 assists per game rank 5th in the nation.  They're also the 12th leading scoring team in the country, averaging 93 points per game.

UC Irvine last played on Nov 17th, and coming off a lopsided 110-73 victory over the Pacifica College Gladiators.  Joannis Dimakopoulos led the Gladiators with 16 points, while Luke Nelson issued 8 assists.


THE DISH ON JASON BRICKMAN:

He led all NCAA Division-1 players with 290 assists last season, as well as an 8.5 assists per game average as a Junior.  After just two games as a senior, he's averaging 12 assists per.  He entered the season as LIU's all-time assists leader with 719.  The all-time NEC record is 804 assists.  So far, Jason has 24 assists in two games, and needs another 62 to set the mark.  With another 257 assists, he would become only the 4th NCAA player to amass 1,000 assists in a career.




Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: Kids From Flatbush Gave Indiana Hoosiers All They Could Handle

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

Game One: LIU Gains First Victory Over St. Peter's

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS: Hoosiers Sweat Out Close Victory Over LIU.  Despite Last Second Misses, Senior Jason Brickman Leads Team In Very Spirited Effort.

The Hoops of Flatbush visited iconic Assembly Hall Tuesday evening to challenge the #23 ranked Indiana Hoosiers for the first time in their history.  The Blackbirds were otherwise 2-16 versus Big Ten opponents entering last night's action.  By game's end however, they dropped to 2-17 against the Big Ten.

A home crowd of 17, 472 watched the Hoosiers almost go down in defeat with the ball in LIU's hands.  LIU was seconds away from victory, but in the end, things just didn't work out.  The Flatbush Hoops put in a stellar effort, and can nonetheless leave Assembly Hall with their heads held quite high.

The Hoosiers opened up with Kevin Ferrell launching up an immediate three.  At 19:06, Gerrell Martin put Brooklyn on the board with a pair.

The Blackbirds then went down 2-8 and again by 4-10, before E.J. Reed hit a jumper at 12:46 to give LIU their first lead by an 11-10 margin.  A few minutes later, Jason Brickman's lay-up put Brooklyn ahead by an 18-10 score.

The Blackbirds twice led by as many as nine points times during the first half.

However, with 0:18 left, they only held a 34-33 lead, but a layup by Chris Carter closed out the half with LIU ahead by a 36-33 score over the Hoosiers.

Indiana opened the second half with a lay-up to get within one, and by 17:31, LIU/Brooklyn found themselves down by a point.  But they stayed composed, and at 14:02, D.J. Griggs nailed a pair of free throws to open up another five point lead for the Blackbirds.

Indiana went up again 73-72 with 1:27 left on the clock.  In the last seconds, Jason Brickman unfortunately missed a lay-up with 0:05 left.  He then rebounded a missed free throw at the other end, and heaved up a three point attempt with one second left on the clock, that didn't find net.  Indiana recovered the defensive rebound and the buzzer sounded.

Jason Brickman otherwise played brilliantly in leading his young squad against the famed Indiana Hoosiers.  He tied for game high with 37 minutes, scored 11 points, but shot poorly overall - 3/11 from the floor.  He did however issue a game high 11 assists.

The Blackbirds had four players in double-digit scoring, while the Hoosiers had three.  Troy Joseph led LIU with 16 points.  Gilbert Parga and E.J. Reed both contributed 15 each.  Indiana's Will Sheehey led all scorers with 19 points, while the Hoosiers cleaned up on the boards by a 48-35 margin.  Indiana held the Blackbirds to just 9 offensive rebounds.




Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: Gain First Victory Of Season Over St. Peter's

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS: Start 2013-14 Regular Season With 87-80 Victory Over St. Peter's Peacocks.

Next Up - Indiana Hoosiers.

Jason Brickman Scores 13 Points, Issues 14 Assists.

 

Earlier this afternoon, the Flatbush Hoops made the very short trip from the Wellness Center to Barclays Center to host the St. Peter's Peacocks in this year's regular season opener.

All got off on the right foot, as LIU defeated St. Peter's by an 87-80 final.  All five of LIU's starters scored in double-digits, led by a team high 24-points from junior guard Gerrell Martin, while Jason Brickman led all players with 14 assists.

The Peacocks were led by their forwards Marvin Dominique and Quadir Welton.  Dominique led all players with both with 31 points and 14 rebounds.  Welton added 16 points and 11 rebounds.  Although LIU lost the battle on the glass, the Blackbirds employed a familiar recipe to gain victory by pounding St. Peter's at the line and from beyond the three.  The Blackbirds were 26/35 from the line, good for 74.3%, while the Peacocks only managed only 11/21, for 54.2% shooting from the line.  LIU overwhelmed the Peacocks from beyond the three-point line with 45.8% success on 11/24 shooting.  St. Peter's could only manage 3/11 for only 27.3 percent.  Gerrell Martin was 6/8 from three-point land.

St. Peter's took more shots from the field however, and posted a 51.6 field-goal percentage on 33/64 shooting.  The Blackbirds were 44.6% on 25/56 shooting.

The Blackbirds led 39-32 at the half, and rode that seven point margin to victory.

Next up, LIU will travel to Indiana and take on the Hoosiers this Tuesday evening.



Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: Defending 3-Time NEC Champs Open Season Today At Barclays Center

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

SATURDAY

 

St. Peter's Peacocks

vs.

LIU BLACKBIRDS

From

BARCLAYS CENTER
Flatbush Avenue

Brooklyn

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS: With Departure Of Three Starters From Last Season, Much Falls On Jason Brickman To Lead Team As Lone Senior.  Julian Boyd Not Expected Back Until January.

WAGNER VOTED PRE-SEASON FAVORITE TO TOP NORTHEAST CONFERENCE;

LIU/BROOKLYN PREDICTED TO FINISH FOURTH.

 

 

Can Blackbirds Continue The Standard They've Set For Themselves Over Last Three Years?

Downtown Brooklyn's three-time defending NEC Champions begin their 2013-14 season Saturday afternoon at Barclays Center, but not without some adversity.  In the pre-season coach's poll, the proud LIU Blackbirds were only predicted to finish fourth in the NEC behind overwhelming favorite Wagner, then Robert Morris and Bryant.

Coach Jack Perri begins his second season as head coach.  His team outscored their opponents last season by a 2,677-2,589 margin, and their 81.4 points per game ranked 2nd in the country.

Long Island University has achieved at least 20 victories in each of the last three seasons, and have now appeared in six March Tourneys, with three coming in the last three seasons.  The Blackbirds struggled midway through last season with a six game losing streak, and dropped their final four contests to finish with a 20-14 record, but then stream rolled through last year's NEC tourney.  They were undone by James Madison in last March's NCAA Regionals.  In the season prior under former coach Jim Ferry, they posted a 25-9 record, but were soundly defeated by #1 seeded Michigan State in the 2011-12 NCAA Regionals.  In 2010-11, the Blackbirds went 27-6, and 16-2 against the conference, but were stopped cold by North Carolina in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 1997 season.

Jason Brickman is the lone returning undergraduate starter from last season, and will be LIU's lone senior player.  He led all NCAA Division-1 players with 290 assists last season, as well as an 8.5 assists per game average as a Junior.  Brickman is LIU's all-time assists leader with 719, and with another 86 assists, will break the all-time NEC record of 804 assists.  With another 281 assists, Jason Brickman can become only the 4th NCAA player to amass 1,000 assists in a career.

Julian Boyd returns as graduate student.  Last year, his season was derailed by a torn ACL.  In July, he tore the same ACL again.  The team hopes he can rejoin the team again by January.

The Blackbirds lost five seniors from last year's team.  Among the most notable departures are center Jamal Olasewere, guard C.J. Garner, Kenny Onyechi, and Brandon Thompson.  Last season, senior Jamal Olasewere was named NEC Player of the Year.

Forward E.J. Reed is now a sophomore.  He was a 50.6% shooter from the field last season.   Guard/forward Troy Joseph and guard Gerrell Martin are Juniors.  Forward Landon Atterberry comes to Brooklyn after two years in Cape Cod.  Coach Perri will also have four new recruits and five freshmen overall on his squad; F-Nura Zanna, G-Joel Hernandez, F/C-Glenn Feidanga, G-Iverson Fleming, and G-Kaleb Marquis.

Forward Darien Best, guard D.J. Griggs, F-Chris Carter and G/F Gilbert Parga round out the roster.

Gerrell Martin is from the Bronx, and Darien Best is from right here in Brooklyn, New York.

The LIU Blackbirds first in-Conference game is scheduled for January 9th against St. Francis of Brooklyn.  The Blackbirds posted a 12-6 conference record last season.





Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: The Madness Begins Against James Madison

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

2013 NCAA MEN'S BASKEBALL TOURNAMENT

 

WEDNESDAY

 

James Madison Dukes

vs.

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS

from

Dayton, Ohio

 

 

 

 

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS - Flatbush Faces James Madison Dukes In First Bout Of March Madness.


Somehow, the lords of basketball and TV money changers found yet another brilliant method to increase the size of their sanctimonious revenue pie.  Call Wednesday's contest what you will.  We're being sold on the notion this is a first round game.  In opposition to my biased home town fervor, I know better.  But I'll call this the opening game of this year's tournament just to play along.


Playing in the East Region, the Blackbirds must first play through James Madison before truly earning the distinction of being the sixteenth seed.  Should LIU win, they will have the pleasure of competing against number one seed Indiana on Friday.


In his first season as Blackbirds coach, Jack Perri helped his veteran team play through the loss of 2012 NEC Player of the Year, Julian Boyd.  The Blackbirds finished as the three seed in the Northeast Conference with a 20-13 overall record.  However, LIU defeated Mount St. Mary's to earn this year's NEC title, and a berth in this year's tournament.  This will be the fifth NCAA tournament appearance for the men's program, and their third in a row; coinciding with their three consecutive Northeast Conference titles.  In the university's last two bouts with March Madness under Coach Ferry, they fell to North Carolina and Michigan State.


The Blackbirds are a much more experienced club than the James Madison Dukes.  Their top two scorers this season were 2013 NEC Player of the Year, Jamal Olasewere, who averaged 18.9 points, and 8.5 rebounds per game.  Guard, C.J. Garner, this year's NEC Tourney MVP, was the Blackbirds second leading scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game.  Guard Jason Brickman was the nation's leader in assists.  He averaged 8.5 this season.  All three players participated in last season's Madness.  The Blackbirds have six players overall who've participated in a tournament game.  Meanwhile, the James Madison Dukes, who finished with a 20-14 record this season and placed fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association, are making their first tournament appearance since the 1994 season.


These two teams only met twice before, with James Madison winning both.  The last time came in 2000.  Entering Wednesday's game, James Madison is the favorite, considered the more talented on offense. They might face a more daunting time defeating LIU this time around.  This report says James Madison coach Matt Brady is suspending his top scorer and rebounder, Rayshawn Goins, as per James Madison policy, for the first half of Wednesday's game against the Blackbirds.  He was arrested for minor offenses stemming from a party.  LIU meanwhile, has averaged over ninety points per game over their last four contests, and have topped ninety points in five of their last six games.  Their season long 79.9 points per game average ranked fifth in all the nation.




Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: Flatbush Hoops Win Third Straight NEC Title

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Long Island University/Brooklyn Blackbirds

 

2012-2013

Northeast Conference

CHAMPIONS

 

FINAL

Mount St. Mary's  70

LIU/Brooklyn         91 

LIU/BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS - The Old Gang Did It Again.  C.J. Garner Scores A Game High Thirty-One Points; Jamal Olasewere Leads All Players In Rebounding; Jason Brickman Leads Everyone In Assists.

Blackbirds Win Third Consecutive NEC Title

 

Heading Back To The NCAA Tournament

With 1:46 left in the second half, NEC Player of the Year, senior, Jamal Olasewere, punctuated Tuesday night's title game at the Wellness Center with a thunderous reverse dunk that put the Blackbirds ahead 86-67 over Mount St. Mary's.  The ignited crowd stayed on their feet from then on.  As time expired, the WRAC turned to revelry.  The Hoops of Flatbush became three time repeat champions of the Northeast Conference.

 

 

Head Coach Jack Perri wins the NEC title in his first season at the helm.  The way back to the title game was not a road easily travelled.  The Blackbirds had quite a bit of adversity to overcome.  However, LIU's overwhelming experience prevailed.  Minus injured senior Julian Boyd, LIU's starting line-up stepped onto their home court replete with four returning champion players from last season.  Some congratulations should perhaps be sent former coach Jim Ferry's way for the program he built, and left behind.  This third championship is a testament to superior effort he put into the university.

 

 

Against the Mountaineers, the Blackbirds were led by senior guard, C.J. Garner.  He led all scorers with thirty-one points with a stellar 13/17 shooting performance from the floor.  Jamal Olasewere was second high for the Blackbirds with fifteen points.  He led all players with ten rebounds; nine came on the defensive end.  And junior, Jason Brickman; the nations leading ball distributor; led all players with eight assists.  Also returning from last season, Kenny Onyechi added eleven points, and seven boards.  Back-up guard, Gerrell Martin contributed twelve points off the bench.

 

 

The Mountaineers actually had five players score in double digits.  Guard, Sam Prescott, led The Mount with twenty-one points.

 

 

Brooklyn shot 61.4% from the floor on 35/57 shooting.  Mount St. Mary's struggled to shoot 39.7% from the floor.  Perhaps born of desperation, the Mountaineers hoisted up thirty-one three-point attempts, only converting on nine for a 29% mark.  Brooklyn only put up nine shots from behind the arch, converting on five.  LIU nearly doubled Mount St. Mary's efforts at the foul line.  Brooklyn took twenty-one shots from the stripe, making sixteen for a 76% mark.  The Mountaineers, spending most of their time behind the three point line, didn't drive the lane much, and as a result, only took eleven shots from the free throw line.  Brooklyn also won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding Mount St. Mary's by a 36-27 margin.

 

 

Next - Selection Sunday; March 17th.

 

 

 

Mike.BTB

L.I.U. Blackbirds: Flatbush Goes For Third Straight NEC Title Tonight

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

TONIGHT

 

Northeast Conference Championship Game

 

MOUNT ST. MARY'S

Mountaineers

vs.

LONG ISLAND/BROOKLYN

BLACKBIRDS

From

The Wellness Center, Ashland Place

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN

LIU BLACKBIRDS - First Year Coach Jack Perri Has Flatbush In Position To Win Third Consecutive NEC Title.


* Jamal Olasewere - 2013 NEC Player of the Year
* Jason Brickman - Led nation in assists.


The back-to-back Northeast Conference Champions have returned to defend their title, although it didn't always seem they would.  Even before the regular season commenced, their year got off to a tumultuous start.  Several team members were involved in an on-campus altercation which required a response from law enforcement, and earned three Blackbirds starters, plus a fourth player, school issued suspensions.  Making matters on the court worse, last season's NEC Player of the Year, senior, Julian Boyd was lost to a season ending injury.


Under first year coach Jack Perri, the Blackbirds stumbled out of the starting bloc.  As part of the season opening Barclays Center Classic, LIU lost their first four games.  They followed with a five game win streak.  But ended their out-of-conference schedule with another three straight losses, most notably to #8 Kentucky.  They finished their out-of-conference schedule with a 5-7 record.


To begin Northeast Conference play, the Blackbirds continued to lose their first three games beginning with Sacred Heart, followed by Quinnipiac, then a third loss to Wagner.  Finally, on January 12th, the Blackbirds defeated Mount St. Mary's, whom they will face tonight in the Northeast Conference Championship game being played inside downtown Brooklyn's Ashland Place gym; or as it's properly named, the Wellness Center.  LIU went on to win another five in a row before falling to Robert Morris.  In the second meeting between LIU and Mount St. Mary's on February 21st, the Mountaineers defeated the Blackbirds by an 83-71 score.


LIU won their last two games of the season to finish with an overall 19-13 record; 12-6 in the conference.  They ended in a three-way tie for second place, along with Wagner and Bryant.  Mount St. Mary's finished in fifth place with an 18-13 record.  They were 11-7 in the conference.  Robert Morris won the regular season title with an overall 23-10 record, and a 14-4 NEC mark.


In the NEC quarterfinals, LIU defeated Quinnipiac 91-83, at the Wellness Center.  Brooklyn then took a trip into Staten Island to face #2 seed Wagner in the semifinal round, where they orchestrated a convincing 94-82 win, earning them a trip to the NEC championship game.  LIU/Brooklyn senior guard, C.J. Garner, scored twenty-three points in the victory.  The Mount defeated Bryant in the quarterfinals to advance into the semifinal round against #1 seed Robert Morris.  On Saturday in Pennsylvania, Mount St. Mary's pulled out a 69-60 upset of the Colonials, to earn a trip to Brooklyn.  It was The Mount's ninth win in a row.  This will be the Mountaineers first trip to the NEC Finals since the 2009 season.  LIU/Brooklyn is aiming for their third straight crown.




Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds: Defense Of NEC Title Starts Friday

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:

Under New Coach Jack Perri,

Returning NEC Champions Are Ready To Do It Again.

 

 

The collegiate members of the Hoops of Flatbush tip-off their 2012-2013 regular season in a non conference match-up versus the Morehead State Eagles, which additionally kicks off the first ever Barclays Center Classic beginning late Friday afternoon.

The back-to-back Northeast Conference champions begin their first season under coach Jack Perri.  Returning from last year's squad are NEC Player of the year, and returning senior, forward Julian Boyd; senior forward Jamal Olasewere; senior forward Kenny Onyechi; senior guard Brandon Thompson; retuning senior guard C.J. Garner; and junior guard Jason Brickman.  Gone from last year's popular team are senior guard Michael Culpo and senior forward Arnold Mayorga.


Newcomers to the team include junior G/F Gilbert Parga and soph forward Khalil Murphy.  Among the freshman class are guard Kedar Edwards, guard D.J. Griggs, and forward E.J. Reed.


Once again, Julian Boyd, Jamal Olasewere, and Jason Brickman will serve as the team's core.  Julian Boyd averaged 17.4 points last season.  Olasewere averaged 16.9 points per game.  Jason Brickman finished fifth in the nation with 7.3 assists per game.


The Blackbirds finished 25-9 last season.  In their second straight NCAA tournament appearance they fell in the first round to Michigan State.  The loss did not detract however from their fine regular season, and NEC championship effort.  To include last season's championship game against Robert Morris, the Blackbirds have won twenty seven consecutive games inside the Wellness Center.  It is the second longest streak in the country behind Kentucky's mark.


Back in September, returning forward Troy Joseph, Boyd, Olasewere, and C.J. Garner were involved in an on-campus incident which resulted in their arrest.  They were then suspended indefinitely by Long Island University.  They have since been reinstated but will be docked the first two in-conference games of the season.  Otherwise, they will be required to perform community service and attend counseling.


In ten seasons at the helm, former Head Coach Jim Ferry took a moribund program and built it into a Northeastern Conference power.  He inherited a program that went 5-22 in the season prior to his arrival.  By his sixth season as coach, the 2007-2008 Blackbirds played to a 15-15 record.  Then after having successfully built a solid foundation, Coach Ferry constructed a team that won 52 games over the last two seasons, and earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.  In this most recent 2011-2012 campaign, his Blackbirds were the second highest scoring team in the Nation.


Coach Ferry left Long Island University-Brooklyn after accepting the head coaching position at Duquesne.  The departing coach didn't just save an athletic program here, he put Downtown Brooklyn on the national map.  For that, we Brooklynites are thankful, and wish Jim Ferry all the best in his new endeavour to rebuild his next program.




Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Back to Back NEC Champions

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS

2011-2012

Men's Basketball

Northeast Conference Champions

Back-to-Back:

2010-2011

2011-2012

March Madness, Here We Come!

For the second time in as many years, the LIU Blackbirds repeated as Northeast Conference  Champions and are headed to the NCAA Tournament.  In a rematch of last year's NEC title game, Brooklyn's own, Spike Lee, was on hand to help cheer-on his neighborhood collegians to a convincing 90-73 victory over #3 Robert Morris at the WRAC.  This was LIU's fourth overall Conference championship.

The Blackbirds have now won twenty-seven consecutive games at the Ashland Place gym.  It's the second such longest streak in the country behind Kentucky's mark.  But now, they will have to say good-bye to their home court advantage, for they are going to partake in some good 'ol March Madness.

Julian Boyd scored eighteen points and pulled down a game high ten rebounds.  Jason Brickman also scored eighteen points and issued a game high eleven assists.  But it was C.J. Garner who led all scorers Wednesday night with twenty-one points.

Make no mistake, Robert Morris' big bodies didn't make anything easy for the home team.  They scored sixteen points off turnovers; had more second chance points; and their bench outscored Brooklyn's by eighteen points.  After Jamal Olasewere led Brooklyn with eleven first half points, the Colonials had Brooklyn's junior forward in foul trouble and limited him to two points and eleven minutes in the second half.

If you watched on TV or were at the Wellness Center, then you know this game was a most physical contest.  Either team's interior was not an area for the weak.  Several times the game was paused to attend to players laying horizontally on the floor.  Almost every attempt to drive the basket was met with a body and resulted in impact.  And that all played right into LIU's hands.  Combined, seventy-four points were scored down low.  But that was LIU's battle to win.  Coach Ferry and Jason Brickman high screened and low screened the Colonials silly, in order to create just enough space for Flatbush to outscore Robert Morris 40-34 inside the paint.  Jamal Olasewere set one high pic in particular which the replay showed to be a clean pic, but wound up being a rough one on the fallen Colonial cager.

Once again, Flatbush absolutely dominated their opponent with, A) - their ability to get to the line, and, B) - by burying free throws.  The Blackbirds visited the line nearly twice as many times as the Colonials 40-21, and outscored them 31-14 once there.  In the second half, LIU went to the line ten more times than Robert Morris, and outscored them 23-12.  The Colonials disappointingly shot an overall 66% from the stripe versus Brooklyn's 77%; and more importantly for LIU, 82% in the second half.   C. J. Garner was brilliant with a perfect 10/10 shooting.  And Jason Brickman was equally accurate shooting 8/8 from the line.

But chalk one up for the home crowd and head cheerleader; Spike Lee.  Downtown Brooklyn was a lively place to be.  And perhaps that had as much to do with the lack of scoring touch on the Colonials' part, not only from the line, but from the field as well.  After surrendering a 19-17 lead at 7:49 of the first half, their scoring touch faded away and they'd never lead again.  For the game, Robert Morris shot a regrettable 27 of 73 from the field for a 37% night.  While Flatbush shot nearly 60% from the field, making 27 of 51 shots.

The Blackbirds won the first half by eight points and the second half by nine.  Once they re-established a double-digit 65-54 lead with 7:14 left in the game, the Colonials would never get within a single digit again.  Instead, Brooklyn pulled away down the stretch and closed out the game up by seventeen points to win their second consecutive NEC title.

FINAL

Robert Morris Colonials    73

LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds   90

What next?  Selection Sunday!

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ NEC Tourney; Wipe Out Sacred Heart. Quinnipiac Next

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH




LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS:  Jason Brickman and Jamal Olasewere Turn Back the Pioneers.  Quinnipiac Up-Ends St. Francis (NY) to Set-Up Semifinal Match Up.

QUARTERFINAL:

LIU-Brooklyn   80

Sacred Heart    68

The Blackbirds went downtown for Wednesday night's NEC quarterfinal game against Sacred Heart; as in scoring thirty-three points from three-point land.  Nine LIU steals and seventeen Pioneer turnovers overall, resulted in another eighteen points for Brooklyn.

The Pioneers actually held an 8-7 lead at 14:07 of the first half.  But over the remaining portion of the game, Jamal Olasewere and the Blackbirds ensured they'd never lead again.  The Pioneers managed to get within a point of Brooklyn with 7:18 left.  However by 2:32, Brooklyn was up again by fifteen.  The Blackbirds wound up taking an eight point lead into halftime.



Once again, Sacred Heart managed to pull within a point of LIU with the score 41-40 at the 13:37 mark.  But Flatbush proceeded to pull away and were up by seventeen with just 1:43 to go.  Sacred Heart's Shane Gibson scored a game high twenty-two points, while Louis Montes pulled down a game high ten rebounds.  Sacred Heart also out-rebounded Flatbush by a plus ten margin in the losing effort.



Instead, the second half was all Brandon Thompson.  Coming off the bench, he buried a trio of three-pointers and dropped two more from the line for eleven second half points.  Overall, the Blackbirds connected on six shots from downtown in the second half on their way to an 80-68 quarterfinal victory.



Olasewere led Brooklyn scorers with twenty points; dropping eleven in the first half, and another nine in the second.  He also pulled down eight rebounds, blocked two shots, had three steals, and took a game high eight attempts from the foul line in thirty-four minutes played.  The facilitator, LIU's guard Jason Brickman, scored twelve points and distributed a game high thirteen assists.  Julian Boyd (16), Michael Culpo (11), and Michael Thompson (11), made five Brooklyn players in double-digit scoring.




NEC Tournament Quarterfinal Results:

LIU-Brooklyn defeats Sacred Heart  80-68

Robert Morris defeats Monmouth  87-68
I predicted this game would be closer.

Quinnipiac defeats St. Francis (NY)  80-72
*UPSET*   I predicted St. Francis (NY) would win convincingly.

Wagner defeats Central Connecticut State  87-77

Sunday, March 4, 2012

NORTHEAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

Semifinals:

Quinnipiac Bobcats

vs.

LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS

From,

THE WELLNESS CENTER

Ashland Place, Brooklyn

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Win Regular Season Title; Number One Seed

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

2011-2012

LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS

Back-To-Back

Northeast Conference Regular Season Champs

To Coach Jim Ferry, congratulations.  Make that back-to-back regular season NEC titles.  In defeating Fairleigh Dickinson Thursday evening, the Blackbirds clinched first place and the number one seed heading into the Northeast Conference Tournament where they will officially begin defending their NEC championship of a season ago.  They will meet eighth-seed Sacred Heart in the first round.

I had my reservations about LIU having to finish the regular season on the road.  Unlike the success they've enjoyed inside the Wellness Center this season, on the road the Blackbirds were only a 7-7 team.  The second place Wagner Seahawks stayed on the Blackbirds' tails all season like a bag of salt.  A mere game behind in the standings, Wagner was also scheduled to finish their regular season with two games on the road.  But unlike LIU, the Seahawks flourished as a visiting team, amassing a 11-2 record before Thursday night's action.

Wagner won Thursday's game against Bryant to improve their NEC record to 15-2, and upped their overall mark to 24-4 under Coach Hurley for what will end up being the best overall record in the Conference.  Their win over Bryant also bumped their road record up to 12-2 as well as the game being their ninth win in a row. 

But the team that handed Wagner two of it's four losses this season, also won Thursday evening  making all this academic.  The race for the Conference's number one seed is won.  LIU-Brooklyn retains it's NEC regular season title.  Similar to Wagner's streak, the Blackbirds' 91-80 defeat of Fairleigh Dickinson was LIU's eighth win in a row.  Both teams have one more game to play.  LIU (16-1) will finish against Monmouth, while Wagner will end their regular season against Central Connecticut State.  At this point, the best Wagner can do is tie LIU for the best Conference record.  But LIU owns the tie-breakers.

Technically one of the highest scoring teams in the country, the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds were led by their two Junior forwards; Jamal Olasewere, and Julian Boyd; whom both celebrated scoring the 1,000th points of their respective collegiate careers this season.  And in his first full season as a starter, guard Jason Brickman has earned the accolades of his team mates and Coach, in addition to gaining national attention with his 7.2 assists per game average.

Thursday against Fairleigh Dickinson, Julian Boyd established a new career high with twenty rebounds, with eighteen coming on the defensive glass.  He also contributed twenty-one points as part of a dominating effort in the Blackbirds' clincher.  LIU out rebounded FDU 47-35 for the game.  Jamal Olaswerer pulled down eight of those boards, and dropped a game high twenty-four points on FDU.  He scored eighteen of his points in the second half.  And in a team high thirty-five minutes played, Jason Brickman distributed thirteen assists against just two turnovers.

FDU shot only slightly better than LIU from the field.  In return, LIU shot slightly better than FDU from beyond the arch.  But as has been the case over many games and Blackbird victories this season,  the Hoops of Flatbush made their opponents pay for their mistakes at the line.  They won Thursday's exchange of free-throws by a game tilting 25-6 margin.

LIU's final game of the regular season will be tomorrow, Saturday, February 25th, in New Jersey where the Blackbirds will take on (9-8) Monmouth, who tentatively can end up anywhere from the fifth to seventh seed in the coming Conference tournament.

THE FOLLOWING 8 TEAMS QUALIFIED for the 2011-2012 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT:

* Seeds are tentative Prior to Saturday's Games.

1) - LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS
2) - Wagner Seahawks
3) - Robert Morris Colonials
4) - St. Francis (Brooklyn) Terriers
5) - Quinnipiac Bobcats
6) - Central Connecticut State Blue Devils
7) - Monmouth Hawks
8) - Sacred Heart Pioneers






Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ One Game Lead With Two to Play

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  Flatbush Stays Undefeated at Home and Remain in First Place by a Game.  But the Wagner Bulldogs Refuse to Lose.

LIU-Brooklyn beat Quinnipiac Saturday afternoon 99-89, and will finish the 2011-2012 regular season undefeated inside the Wellness Center.  This was their twelfth win against no losses at the Ashland Place gym and extends their home winning streak to twenty-four games over the last two seasons; the fourth longest home streak in the nation. 

Flatbush improved their Conference leading record to 15-1, but Wagner; 14-2; remains hot on their heels after defeating Fairleigh Dickinson in their final home game of the season as well.  So the battle for the number one seed is on.  A one game lead with two games to play are all that separate LIU from Wagner and repeating as regular season champs.    But let us not speak too soon.  Both LIU and Wagner will have to dig deep into their inner-road warrior in order for either team to win the regular season title.

And let us make no mistake - there is zero margin for error, for everything changes with one game.  The Blackbirds have played to a not so stellar 7-7 road record.  Their last two games are against Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth.  Wagner most recently defeated Fairleigh Dickinson.  They will take on Bryant next and finish against Central Connecticut State.  Wagner (23-4) has a better overall record than LIU (21-7) and has been the far better road team sporting an 11-2 record.

Nobody ever said finishing was easy.

Julian Boyd and C.J. Garner both scored a game high twenty-five points against Quinnipiac.  Boyd also shared the game lead in rebounding with ten.  And Jason Brickman distributed a season and career high sixteen assists and added ten points.

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Survive Sacred Heart; Quinnipiac Next

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS:  Finishing Ain't Easy!

Make that six wins in a row, and 11-0 at home this season.  That's all well and good, but make no mistake, there is nothing easy about defending their 2010-2011 NEC Championship.  Coach Dan Hurley's Wagner Seahawks refuse to lose and continue to leave Flatbush with no margin for error.  That's what made LIU's Thursday night game against Sacred Heart so harrowing, for the Pioneers took the locals into overtime before Flatbush pulled out another game at the Wellness Center, and by doing so, stayed a game ahead of Wagner for first place in the Northeast Conference with three games left in the regular season.

Jamal Olasewere went into Thursday's game already having been named Co-NEC Player of the Week off his 32 point performance against St. Francis (NY).  And against Sacred Heart, he powered the Blackbirds again with a game high twenty-seven points, as well as leading all players in rebounds with eleven.  Joining Jamal Olaswere among Brooklyn's twenty point scorers were Julian Boyd and Michael Culpo who both dropped twenty points each against the Pioneers.  Culpo in particular was deadly from three-point range, burying six of ten shots from beyond the arch.  Jason Brickman distributed a game high nine assists to go along with nine points.

Flatbush and Sacred Heart traded leads ten times in the first half.  With 4:45 left, a three pointer by Pioneer, Shane Gibson, tied the score for only a third time.  But from then on Brooklyn went up by as many as six after a Julian Boyd three-pointer with 0:59 left, and closed out the half with a 40-37 lead.

The second half was nothing short of a problem for the Blackbirds.  After just two and a half minutes into things, Sacred Heart had wrestled the lead from Flatbush, who watched the Pioneers increase their lead to as many as eleven against the home team.  It wasn't until the 7:23 mark that Flatbush was able to tie this game again at sixty-three all off a Michael Culpo three.  The Blackbirds held court again until Shane Gibson buried yet another three-pointer for Sacred Heart to tie the game at eighty-one apiece.

With 0:02 left in the game, LIU had the ball exactly where they wanted it; in the hands of Jamal Olasewere.  But he couldn't nail the game winning shot in regulation.  So, into overtime they went.

The Blackbirds never trailed during the five minute extra session.  By 3:25 left, they built up a double-digit lead and never looked back.  They did some of their best work from the line, shooting 12/15, on their way to outscoring Sacred Heart 22-10 for a 103-91 game final.

And it's a good thing too.  Wagner won their seventh game in a row to improve their Conference record to 13-2, and 22-4 overall.  Brooklyn meanwhile, improves to 20-7 overall, and remains in first place by a game over Wagner with a 14-1 Conference mark.

On the feel-good front, yes, the Blackbirds remain undefeated at home extending a streak that reaches back to last season.  They have now won twenty-three consecutive games at the Wellness Center.  They are 11-0 this season.  Their final home game will be Senior Day, this Saturday afternoon against Quinnipiac.

The Blackbirds will then close out their regular season on the road, where they have not fared as well.  They have a 7-7 record as visitors.  For the Brooklyn Downtowners, their season ends in New Jersey with games against Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth.  As Brooklyn plays Saturday afternoon, Wagner should know the result of LIU's game when they take the court in Staten Island against Fairleigh Dickinson later in the evening.  Then it's off to the road for Wagner as well.  And there's the rub.  While Brooklyn has only played .500 basketball away from the Wellness Center (2-0 in neutral sites), Wagner has excelled on the road this season where they have amassed an 11-2 record.

The Northeast Conference is culminating in a great 'ol race.  Three cheers for NYC Basketball.

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Kings of the County!

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  The Battle of Brooklyn is Won.

The Hoops of Flatbush Defeat the Remsen Street Terriers.

FINAL

St. Francis Terriers  78

LIU-BK  Blackbirds  81

LIU's Jamal Olasewere Scores Thirty-Two Points and is Named MVP in the Annual Clash for Kings County.


They came; They saw; They competed.  As a fan, the collegiate Battle of Brooklyn was everything you wanted from of a game between two old Downtown rivals.  A truly great contest played out at the Wellness Center on Sunday afternoon where pure intensity ruled the day as both teams fought through numerous ties, and multiple lead changes.  The outcome was never certain even with 0:08 left left in the game.



But as Battles go, the winners get to write the history books.  That's where LIU comes in.  But for the St. Francis Terriers, they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads over.  The Blackbirds will no doubt see them again in the NEC tournament.  But for a night, the Terriers gave LIU everything they could handle.  St. Francis made a defiant Flatbush Avenue crossing and jumped out to a 43-41 halftime lead inside LIU's Ashland Place gym where the Blackbirds were 9-0 this season and 21-0 going back to last season.  Akeem Johnson led St. Francis scorers with seventeen first half points.  The Terriers rode Johnson's effort and got ten points from their bench heading into the break.



LIU's Jamal Olasewere and Julian Boyd had other plans however.  They both combined to shoot a perfect 14 for 14 from the field for thirty-five first half points.  Yet, their mark on this game was still to be made.  St. Francis held on to their lead until LIU's Brandon Thompson nailed a three-pointer at the 13:17 mark for the game's eighth tie, and making the score fifty-two all.  That's really when the Blackbirds finally turned things around.



Jamal Olasewere made two key defensive stops with a block and a steal, and continued his game-perfect 11-11 shooting from the field.  He helped the Blackbirds build up a nine point lead with nearly eight minutes left to play.  But even then, St. Francis still had another run in them.  They led this game with less than a minute left to play.  But Jamal Olasewere's final three points of the night tied this game at 72-72 before fouling out with 0:44 left.  His eleventh and final shot from the field was good.  And then hit his free throw before committing his last foul and taking a seat.



Akeem Johnson; who finished with twenty-three to lead St. Francis; put the Terriers up by one with a foul shot.  Then it was Julian Boyd's turn to put this game into his hands.  With 0:18 left, he lofted a turn-around jumper inside the lane that found a friendly rim and got a soft bounce for a 79-78 lead.  Then at the other end, Julian Boyd suffocated Akeem Johnson on defense and caused the game deciding turnover.



C.J. Garner; who was monster in the second half shooting 7 for 8 from the line, buried LIU's last two points of the game on free throws to secure the Blackbirds' 81-78 victory.



By game's end, Jamal Olasewere scored a game high thirty-two points, and as mentioned, was perfect (11-11) from the field.  He pulled down seven rebounds; six on the defensive end; and added nine more points from the line.  He was awarded the Lai-Lynch Trophy for being named MVP in this year's Battle of Brooklyn.


Julian Boyd wasn't just clutch in the last minute.  He had a stellar game of his own throughout the early evening dropping twenty points and pulling down a game high ten rebounds, with nine coming on the defensive end.  C.J. Garner was the third Blackbird to achieve double-digit scoring with fifteen.  And Jason Brickman distributed a game high twelve assists.


With their fifth win in a row, the Blackbirds are now 10-0 at home and 22-0 inside the Wellness Center dating back to last season.  They improved their overall record this season to 19-7, and remain atop the Northeast Conference with a 13-1 record.


The Terriers' loss locks St. Francis (NY) into a 10-4 tie for third place with Robert Morris.  Wagner sits on second place with a 12-2 record while also owning the best road record (11-2) in the Conference.


Next up, Sacred Heart will take a shot at LIU's record inside the Wellness Center when they visit this Thursday, February 16th.

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Flatbush Hoops Take First Battle of Brooklyn

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

The Battle of Brooklyn

LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS

vs.

SAINT FRANCIS TERRIERS

From.

Madison Square Garden

Wednesday Night Final:

LIU-Brookyn   86

St. Francis        77

GAME TWO:

February 12, 2012

From the Wellness Center

Ashland Place, Brooklyn

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  Hoops of Flatbush hold off The Court Street Cagers 86-77 in this year's first engagement of the Battle of Brooklyn.


The Battle of Brooklyn has begun.  Over 7,000 fans filed into Madison Square Garden which played host to the first of two showdowns between Downtown Brooklyn's college cagers in their annual clash to be named Kings of the County.


Blackbird forward, Julian Boyd's lay-up was the first basket of Rivalry Weekend this past Wednesday night against the St. Francis Terriers.  Over the first twenty minutes, LIU shot 51% from the floor and buried 4/9 from beyond the three-point line.  LIU built a lead that reached as many as thirteen points with just over 3:00 left in the first half.  But St. Francis withstood LIU's near-half long surge and answered with an 11-0 run before the break.  They helped themselves shooting 8/8 from the line; scored a net five points off turnovers; and scored twelve second chance points versus LIU's three points en-route to making the game 39-38 at halftime.


Jamal Olasewere and Julian Boyd went toe to toe with the Terriers' Akeem Johnson and Ben Mockford.  The Terriers' Akeem Johnson led first half scorers with thirteen points.  His team mate Ben Mockford added ten points.  Jamal Olasewere and Julian Boyd each scored ten.


By scoring the first points to start the second half, the Terriers briefly enjoyed their first and only lead of the game.  The Blackbirds continued to shoot above 50% from the floor and absolutely crushed St. Francis from the free throw line.  They additionally dominated St. Francis on the defensive glass with twenty rebounds.  Jamal Olasewere took matters into his own hands scoring fifteen points and pulling down eight of those rebounds for second half highs.


With a nine point differential, the game ended in an 86-77 final.  For the night, St. Francis' Akeem Johnson led all scorers with twenty four points.  Ben Mockford was the second Terrier to score at least twenty-points.  On the other side, Jamal Olasewere and Julian Boyd turned in a pair of double-doubles to lead the Blackbirds to their fourth straight win.  C.J. Garner contributed with nineteen points, and Jason Brickman had a game high eight assists to go along with thirteen points.


The Blackbirds raised their overall season mark to 18-7, but more importantly, clinched a berth in the NEC tournament as they improved their first place Conference record to 12-1  - while with this loss, St. Francis (NY) drops to 10-3, and into third place behind Wagner.  Both schools however have also  earned berths in the tournament.  Five more teams are yet to qualify for spots.


The Battle of Brooklyn will formally take it's rightful place Downtown this coming Sunday as the next clash of the Borough's colleges moves to the Ashland Place Gym for an afternoon game.




Mike.BTB