OAKDALE, N.Y. (Dec. 6, 2014) - On Saturday afternoon, the LIU Post men's basketball team suffered a 62-57 defeat at the hands of Dowling in an East Coast Conference showdown at Dowling Gymnasium.

The Pioneers (3-4, 0-2 ECC) started the game strong, reeling off an 11-2 run in the opening 3:23. Three different players knocked down a trifecta in the spurt for the green and gold. Senior forward Charles McCann (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) got things going with a lay-up 41 seconds in.

The Golden Lions (2-4, 0-1 ECC) answered back though, using a 14-1 response in a seven-plus minute span to go in front, 16-12. Junior center Evan Maxwell (East Islip, N.Y.) scored seven points in the burst, while red-shirt senior guard Darien Davis (Middle Island, N.Y.) chipped in four points.

Sophomore forward Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.), who recorded a 22-point, 10-rebound showing in the loss, followed that stretch with back-to-back lay-ups for the green and gold to even the contest at 22-all. He later netted another lay-up, this time at the seven-second mark, to send LIU Post into the locker room ahead by a 28-25 count.

More than halfway into the latter stanza, the two teams were again locked in a dead heat (42-42). Then, a 7-0 run by the Pioneers broke the stalemate, giving the visitors a seven-point advantage. Dotson sparked the spurt with a converted three-point play. Senior guard P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) buried a trey to cap it off.

In a contest that showcased 11 lead changes, Dowling quickly rallied, behind a seven-point flurry from Davis, to grab a 50-49 edge.

The two squads continued to go back and forth from there, and exchanged three more tied scores, before LIU Post was held off the board for most of the final three minutes of regulation. That led the way for the hosts, as Dowling made six of its eight attempts down the stretch from the line to put the game away.

In addition to Dotson's strong performance, Torres notched a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds). Junior guard Akosa Maduegbunam (Hyde Park, Mass.) pitched in seven points and five boards.

Head Coach Erik Smiles and the Pioneers are back in action Tuesday (Nov. 9), when they return home to face No. 2 Southern Connecticut State at the Pratt Recreation Center. The opening tip is set for 7:30 p.m.