Men's Basketball Wins ECC Opener Over Bridgeport, 89-71
Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Dec. 1, 2012) - The LIU Post men's basketball team won its East Coast Conference opener with a 89-71 victory over the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights on Saturday afternoon at the Pratt Recreation Center.
LIU Post goes to 2-3 on the season and 1-0 in conference play, while UB drops its fifth straight, falling to 2-6 overall and 0-1 in ECC action.
The game was a back-and-forth battle from the get-go, as the first five minutes featured four lead changes and three ties. Bridgeport held a 10-7 lead but two treys from freshman
Emile Blackman (Dix Hills, N.Y.) gave the Pioneers a 13-12 lead with 15:19 on the clock.
The Pioneers quickly extended their lead to 19-16, but UB stayed very close, trailing by just three, 25-22, with 8:53 to play. Leading by five, 30-25, with 6:42 left on the clock, the Pioneers went on a 13-6 run that ate up five minutes of clock time and gave the Pioneers a 12-point lead, 43-31, with exactly one minute to play. Bridgeport hit two free throws with two seconds remaining to cut the hosts' lead to 10 heading into halftime.
Both seniors
Billy Butler (Elmont, N.Y.) and
Tobin Carberry (Hamden, Conn.) were in double figures by halftime, with their hot shooting from behind the arc helping the Pioneers to 66.7% from downtown in the first half.
The Pioneers kept Bridgeport at a ten-point deicity for the first five minutes of the half, but were able to put a bit more distance between them at the 15:28 mark, which spurred a 6-0 run that grew the host advantage to 57-41.
The Pioneers remained firmly in control for the remainder of the game, as Bridgeport was able to cut the deficit to just ten, only to see the Pioneers quickly push it back to as many as 18 after a trey by freshman
Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.) with 4:13 to play.
Junior
Vaughn Allen (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) led the Pioneers with 23 points, finishing 7-for-12 from the floor and 9-for-12 from the free throw line. Carberry totaled 20 points on an 8-for-16 effort from the floor, while Butler notched 14 points and a game-high eight assists. Blackman and Burns each chipped in with 10 points, respectively.
The Pioneers held a 35-27 edge on the glass and had an 18-12 assist-turnover ratio. Turnovers hurt the Purple Knights, as the Pioneers forced them in 13 and scored 17 points off the miscues. For the game, LIU Post shot a strong 55% from the floor (33-60) and was efficient from long range, shooting 69% (9-13).
The next contest for LIU Post is a home contest again ECC-foe Dowling College, who visits the Pratt Center on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 3:30 p.m.