LIU Sharks: One Victory Down, Two To Go

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NEC TOURNEY

Fairleigh Dickinson    72

LIU SHARKS               73

With less than four seconds left to play and LIU down by one, senior Julian Batts receives a baseline inbounds, dribbles high around the left elbow, then cuts down the lane for the game winning layup.

and the Ashland Place gymnasium goes crazy!! https://t.co/4bPhkpDEqY

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) March 5, 2020

LIU takes a 15-point lead (44-29) into halftime, and by 13:26 of the second session lead by as many as 19-points.  After which the Knights strike back with a furious 35-16 run, closing within two points of the Sharks with under a minute left to play.  A defensive rebound and layup at the other end by FDU's Elyjah Williams ties the score at 71-71 with just 0:22 second left.  Williams' free throw conversion then gives the Knights their first lead since 8:40 of the first half.  But it wouldn't last.  A key Raiquan Clark rebound gives LIU possession with just three seconds showing on the clock.  Coming out of a time out, Batts scores off the glass just before the buzzer sounds.

With Thursday's 73-72 victory over #5 Fairleigh Dickinson at the Wellness Center, the Sharks advance to the Northeast Conference semifinal round against top seed Robert Morris at Pittsburgh.

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Open Conference Schedule With Mixed Results

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Foiled by Sacred Heart, Flatbush bows to Pioneers in Northeast Conference opener. 

NEC OPENER

LIU Brooklyn  75

SHU Pioneers  79

Raiquan Clark leads all players with 38-minutes and 28-points scored; Julian Batts leads all players with ten rebounds; even Jashaun Agosto leads the floor with seven assists; albeit all in a losing effort.  SHU's three-point shooting and 19-points from the charity line would ultimately prove the difference in this game.  LIU falls behind by fifteen midway through the first session, and trails by eighteen with five minutes left, before reducing their deficit to eight by halftime.  The Blackbirds finally knot things up in the second session on Raiquain Clark's 3-pointer at the 13:49 mark, then build a five point lead on another 3-pointer by Raul Frias with 11:01 remaining.  Sacred Heart would regroup.  In the meantime, a layup by Julian Batts would keep LIU staked to a one point lead with just 1:25 left on the clock.  But it's the Pioneers who would eventually close out the game on a 4-0 run to secure victory by a 79-75 final.

SATURDAY FINAL

LIU Blackbirds   79

SHU Pioneers     70

Brooklyn closes out their three game road trip at Rhode Island, with a 79-70 victory over the Bryant University Bulldogs on Saturday.  Julian Batts leads all scorers with an even 20-points, with Raiquan Clark adding 19-points, four boards, and a team leading three blocks.  Ty Flowers notches a double-double with ten points and a game high 12 rebounds.  The Bulldogs finish with five players scoring in double-digits, but as a team only shoot (23/58) 39.7% from the field.  Flatbush in turn oppresses Bryant with 10/23 from beyond the arc, and 21-points from the line.

The victory is Brooklyn's first against a conference opponent, and brings their overall record back up to par, including a 5-5 mark on the road.  They return home to the Ashland Place gym on Jan. 10 where they'll host the Red Flash of Saint Francis University.


NEC NOTES

• Sacred Heart and Robert Morris lead the pack early on with 2-0 records.  Central Connecticut and Mount St. Mary's bookend the conference with 0-2 records.  The rest of the field is 1-1, to date.  St. Francis/Brooklyn leads with nine overall victories, and are so far undefeated (5-0) at home.  LIU Brooklyn is the only team playing at least .500 on the road.

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Straight Out of Flatbush

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Go West, Young Men!

SUNDAY

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds

vs.

University of San Francisco Dons

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Flatbush Takes Their Game to San Francisco, California, Where a Clash of Undefeated Teams Awaits.

The hiring of Derek Kellogg continues paying handsome dividends.  In his first season as head coach at Brooklyn, he leads LIU to a 10-8 conference record, and 18-17 record overall.  However, the Blackbirds save their best for last, unending tourney favorites to capture last year's NEC championship, and thus a return to trip to March Madness.  This season to date, the Blackbirds are off to a 3-0 start after winning their first two games at home, and their most recent first game on the road.

Next stop, California.

As part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic, Flatbush opens with a match against the U of San Francisco Dons on Sunday.  Following games against Wisconsin and NJIT, the Blackbirds will fly out to Belfast, Ireland.

Sunday's match-up features a clash of undefeated teams.  Both the Blackbirds and Dons enter Sunday with identical 3-0 records.  Through three games, the Dons are averaging 85.6 ppg, while allowing a stingy 48.6 ppg, for an impressive plus-37 point differential.  Although the Blackbirds are averaging 93.6 ppg on offense, they've been much more generous on defense allowing 81.3 ppg, for a plus-12 point differential.

Defending NEC Champs Open Season With Victory

Art of the Two-Point Victory

Julian Batts Leads LIU Over Brown; Blackbirds Win Second Straight

Brown       81

Brooklyn  83

FINAL

Last Friday, the Blackbirds lead Brown 43-40 at halftime, but find themselves trailing by eleven in the second session with under six minutes left to play.  Ignited by a Julian Batts' three-pointer at the 5:24 mark, Brooklyn embarks on a 16-4 run.  Batts punctuates LIU's comeback with a short range jumper in the paint (and one), giving the Blackbirds an 81-79 lead with 1:08 to go.  The Bears tie with 0:46 left.  LIU then misses a three-point attempt on the ensuing possession, but secure the rebound and earn a whistle.  Jashaun Agosto converts both free throw attempts giving the Blackbirds an 83-81 margin of victory.  Lulian Batts leads all players with 26-points.

Raiquan Clark Leads Brooklyn to Third Straight Victory

Brooklyn  89

Fairfield   87

FINAL

Flatbush travels to Connecticut this past Tuesday where they take on Fairfield University in their first road game of the season.  The Blackbirds jump out to a 47-43 halftime lead over the Stags, then expand their margin in the second half by as many as thirteen points.  With just over five minutes remaining, LIU still leads by nine.  But the Stags nail a three at the 2:35 mark, then convert (and one) off an LIU turnover to take a one point lead.  Raiquan Clark's three-pointer gives LIU an 87-85 lead with 0:37 remaining, but Fairfield ties at the 0:24 mark.  On the ensuing possession, LIU drains the clock before Raiquan Clark connects on the final two of his twenty second-half points.  Clark finishes with a game high 33-points.  In the meantime, Ty Flowers keeps LIU moving forward with 21 first-half points.

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: March Madness Begins Now

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NCAA TOURNAMENT

 *  *  THE FIRST FOUR  *  *

EAST REGION @ DAYTON, OHIO

#16 LIU Brooklyn 

BLACKBIRDS

Northeast Champions ~ (18-16)

vs.

#16 Radford University 

HIGHLANDERS

Big South Champions ~ (22-12)

Tuesday, March 13, 6:40pm

The winner faces #1 Villanova Wildcats @ Pittsburgh.

These team previously faced each other only once in their respective history during the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 19, 2011 in which LIU emerged victoriously by a convincing 81-59 final margin of victory.

This is the Blackbirds seventh ever appearance in the NCAA tournament, and their first since getting knocked out of the First Four round in 2013 by the James Madison Dukes.  They are yet to win a tourney game in six previous attempts.  The Blackbirds nevertheless enter Tuesday's game winners of five straight, including their most recent upset over top seeded Wagner in the NEC Final.  They were 5-11 on the road this season, and split two games at neutral sites.  Joel Hernandez is LIU leading scorer, averaging 20.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.  He averages 46 percent shooting from the field, and 38 percent three point range.

Radford is making third ever trip to the dance, and their first since 2009.  They are presently in the midst of a seven game winning streak.  The Highlanders are 7-10 road, and 4-0 at neutral sites.  Ed Polite Jr. is the team's leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points per game, and 7.7 rebounds.

TeamRankings.com 

LIU Brooklyn Bracketology Projection

BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS STARTING FIVE

Julian Batts ~ Julius Van Sauer ~ Raiquan Clark ~ Joel Hernandez ~ Jashaun Agosto

GO BROOKLYN

GO BLACKBIRDS

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds Advance to Northeast Conference Finals

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FINAL

Knights       77

Blackbirds   78

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Flatbush fends off FDU Knights; Set stage for Battle of the Boroughs versus Staten Island's Wagner Seahawks to decide Northeast Conference champion.

Winning the opening tip and scoring the first basket, Fairleigh Dickinson set Saturday's NEC semifinal game at the WRAC in motion.

After misfiring on their first possession, LIU's Joel Hernandez put Flatbush on the board when he connected from beyond the arch for three.  The Blackbirds continued setting the initial pace, jumping out to an early 16-6 lead.

Roughly five minutes into the fray, however, the Knights began settling down.  And by the midway point of the half, FDU was in the midst of a 14-0 run that would change the complexion of the game.  Led by forward Kaleb Bishop's ten points and eleven rebounds, FDU built a fourteen point lead with 1:04 remaining in the half.

The Knights stayed on target through the first twenty minutes, shooting 48.6 percent from the field, and fifty percent (4/8) from beyond the arch.  The Blackbirds, on the other hand, were just 34.4 percent from the field, and just twenty percent (3/15) from three-point range.

Raiquan Clark, Joel Hernandez, and Julian Batts, were the only Blackbirds to register first-half points.  Clark kept LIU moving along with sixteen points, but not before having to iron out a rough start in which he committed five of LIU's six turnovers.

With the Blackbirds trailing 23-18, a Julian Batts steal led to a fast-break the other way.  However, Batts failed to pick up Clark trailing the play.  Batts elected to keep it and wound up earning a trip to the stripe, but not before Clark voiced his displeasure with Julian over the play.

Later in the half, I also witnessed Raiquan in the paint jawing with Knights forward Mike Holloway Jr. after a physical sequence in LIU's end.  It was then the game paused for a TV timeout, and I estimate the ref spent ten seconds having a one-sided conversation with Clark whom stood positioned at the free throw line.

With time winding down in the first half, Joel Hernandez converted a pair of free throws with 0:31 left to at least bring the Blackbirds within nine points by the intermission.

In one respect - just one - the second half played out no differently.  The Blackbirds never did come up with an answer for Kaleb Bishop, whom finished up with a game-high 22 rebounds and a complimentary nineteen points.  LIU, meanwhile, had 33 rebounds all game.

Otherwise, the second half was an entirely different story.

The Blackbirds found their range over the final twenty minutes, shooting 51.4 percent from the field and fifty percent (6/12) from beyond the arch.  Whereas the Knights effectively performed an about face.  An intensified defensive effort on behalf of LIU is partly to blame for Fairleigh Dickinson dipping to 37.5 from the field, and for being limited to six three-point attempts in the second half.

It should be noted, though, Coach Kellogg utilized a four man bench and asked them to contribute 37 minutes.  Whereas Fairleigh Dickinson head coach Greg Herenda effectively implemented a one-man bench, freshman Elyjah Williams whom logged thirteen minutes.  Four of FDU's five starters played at least 39 minutes; freshman forward Noah Morgan played forty minutes.

Flatbush began chipping away at FDU's lead, and by the 13:01 mark, Raiquan Clark was assisting on Julian Batts' three-pointer, thus reducing LIU's deficit to just one.  Joel Hernandez then picked the Knights pockets clean on their ensuing possession, and punctuated his thievery with an emphatic dunk at the other end.  That gave the Blackbirds their first lead of the second half which they extended to seven points through the 5:30 mark.

FDU then made their final push, going on an 11-0 run.  Kaleb Bishop converted a pair of free throws to put FDU up by four with 1:58 remaining in regulation.

Before long, however, Julian Batts' three-pointer tied the game, 76-76, with 1:13 left to play.

Zach Coleman's fifth personal foul of the game put FDU's Mike Holloway Jr. at the line with just 0:49 left on the clock.  Flatbush caught a break when Holloway missed on his first attempt.  He connected on his second attempt putting FDU up by one.

Joel Hernandez launched a wayward three on LIU's ensuing possession.  Kaleb Bishop secured the rebound and the Knights called for time.  After the thirty second break, Raiquan Clark fouled Bishop with 0:09 seconds left in regulation.  But in the end, the only one seemingly able to thwart Kaleb Bishop proved to be Bishop himself.  The game's star to this point ponderously missed both free throw attempts to FDU's dismay - LIU's Julius Van Sauers secured the rebound off the second attempt.

Then, with just 0:03 seconds left, an overzealous Mike Holloway Jr. fouled Jashaun Agosto whom converted both free throw attempts giving the Blackbirds a 78-77 lead, and their ultimate margin of victory.

There's something to be said for having your legs under you.  It has always been my understanding when you have no legs, your shot is the first to suffer.  And if you consider what I'm suggesting with regard to Coach Herenda's lack of substitutions, this could have potentially factored in the Knights second half demise.  They were just 16/24 from the line in the second half, and just 2/6 over the final 1:50 of the game.  Kaleb also missed a layup with 0:50 left.  And Noah Morgan missed from three-point range as time expired (as previously noted, Morgan was the only one to play forty minutes).

Raiquan Clark wound up leading all players with 28 points, to go along with seven boards and four assists.  Joel Hernandez was the game's second leading scorer with 25 points.  Julian Batts was only 3/8 from three-point territory, but his three conversions couldn't have been more timely.  Jashaun Agaosto led the team with six assists.

The quest to win this season's Northeast championship now becomes a Battle of the Boroughs.  Brooklyn's LIU Blackbirds will face Staten Island's number one seed Wagner Seahawks in the conference final, on Tuesday, March 6, at the Spiro Sports Center.

The teams split their regular season match-up, with both protecting home court.

• 1/13 @ Brooklyn - LIU 69; Wagner 76
• 2/17 @ Staten Island - Wagner 78; LIU 74

Fourth seeded Flatbush is vying for their sixth NEC championship.  A charter member of the conference, they are the only men's program to ever win three consecutive NEC crowns (2011-2013).

The top seeded Seahawks are winners of their third ever regular season title.  They captured their one and only NEC title back in 2003 over Saint Francis of Brooklyn.  Wagner led the conference with a 14-4 record, and a 28-3 record overall.

BROOKLYN vs. STATEN ISLAND

NORTHEAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

TUESDAY

LIU BLACKBIRDS

vs.

WAGNER SEAHAWKS

FROM

Richmond County

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Flatbush Hoops Upset Rival Wagner Seahawks

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FINAL

WAGNER               67

LIU/BROOKLYN   69

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Flatbush Scores Upset Over Staten Island Rival.

All seemed fine when Julian Batts' three-pointer at 14:36 of the second half put the Blackbirds up by nine.  He converted a layup during his very next trip up the floor making the score 48-40 in Brooklyn's favor.

That's when Wagner began chipping away until finally tying the score at sixty-seven off a pair of free-throws with just 0:13 second left on the clock.

Off the ensuing change of possession, Julian Batts reemerged, and his lay-up with just 0:02 seconds left sealed Brooklyn's huge 69-67 victory over the NEC's second place team at the Wellness Center.

Joel Hernandez secured a game-high seven rebounds.  Meanwhile, the Seahawks only pulled down seven rebounds all game.  The Blackbirds dominated the boards with 36 total rebounds.  Hernandez also tied Wagner's Romone Saunders with a game-high 18 points.

Batts was second on the team with 13 points, connecting on 5/7 from the field, including 3/4 from beyond the arc.

The victory is Brooklyn's second straight.  The Blackbirds previously scored a 90-85 revenge win over Fairleigh Dickinson University on Thursday.  LIU now evens their conference record at 3-3, while improving to 5-3 at home.

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds Turn Away Stony Brook

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Would the owner of a blue and red bus blocking traffic

at the intersection of Church Avenue and Flatbush Avenue please move!

FINAL

Stony Brook     71

LIU/Brooklyn  75

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Flatbush Wins Second Straight; Remain Unbeaten At Home.

With Monday's victory over Stony Brook, the LIU Blackbirds improved to 3-3 over their last six games, and 4-6 overall.  Better yet, they've won two straight, and are now 3-0 at home.

Despite trailing 34-38 at halftime, LIU outscored the visiting Seawolves 41-33 in the second half to come away with a 75-71 victory.

A pair of Joel Hernandez free throws put the Blackbirds up by seven with seven minutes left to play.  But a Stony Brook steal and a dunk at the other end tied the score 65-65 with three and a half minutes to go.  Raiquan Clark would later scored on a fast break at the 2:01 mark off a defensive rebound by Julian Batts to put LIU ahead for good.  Jashaun Agosto's three with 0:15 second left would ultimately seal the deal for Brooklyn.

Both teams shot an identical 6/17 (35%) from beyond the three, both scored 42 points in the paint, and both committed 18 turnovers.  The Seawolves pulled down just one more rebound than did the Blackbirds, but outpaced the Blackbirds 21-13 on points off turnovers. 

LIU maintained their composure and closed out the Seawolves by converting five of eight free throw attempts over the final three minutes.

Coach Kellogg ran a tight ship again, going with an eight man rotation for the second time in LIU's last three games.  Four Blackbirds logged over thirty minutes. 

Joel Hernandez led all scorers with 23 points, while Julian Batts led the floor with nine rebounds.  Raiquan Clark added 20 points and six rebounds.

Sophomore forward Julius Van Sauers scored 16 points and secured six rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench.  He was 6/7 from the floor, connected on a three, and was a perfect 3/3 from the line.

*

After a well deserved break, the Blackbirds will resume play with two games at Barclays Center against Fairfield University and Saint Peter's University.