BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Dec. 5, 2015) - The LIU Post men's basketball team erased a 17-point first-half deficit Saturday to claim a 71-63 victory against Mercy College in its 2015-16 East Coast Conference opener at the Pratt Recreation Center.

Trailing 42-32 at the break, the Pioneers went on a 12-2 run over the first 6:22 of the second half to tie the game at 44-all with 13:38 remaining. Junior forward Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.) scored five points in the burst, including a put-back two-handed dunk. Senior guard Jared Hall (South Orange, N.Y.), who registered a game-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting in the contest, drilled a jumper to even the score.

Mercy's (1-3, 0-1 ECC) Shaquille Stokes (Harlem, N.Y.) then knocked down a three to put his team back in front by one possession, before LIU Post (5-2, 1-0 ECC) responded with a quick 8-1 burst to take a 53-48 lead at the 9:12 mark.

Senior guard Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.) accounted for five of the first seven points. Junior forward Barrington Alston (Wilmington, Del.) netted a pair of foul shots to stake the Pioneers to a five-point cushion.

Burns eventually buried the dagger that sealed the come-from-behind victory for the green and gold. A three-pointer from the top of the key, off a Chris Orozco (Tenafly, N.J.) pass, widened LIU Post's advantage to 64-55 with 4:42 remaining.

Down 27-12 nearly midway through the first half, the Pioneers battled back with an 11-2 run in a span of 3:15 to close the gap to 29-23 with 5:43 left. Hall, who poured in 16 points to lead all players in the opening 20 minutes, had seven of the first nine points in the burst.

The Mavericks eventually re-gained their double-digit lead, but a pair of Bryant Webb (Parlin, N.J.) free throws and a Hall fast-break lay-up made it a 10-point contest (42-32) at the intermission.

In addition to his 22-point effort, Hall pulled down six rebounds and swiped three steals. Burns racked up 15 points, seven assists and four steals. Dotson contributed 10 points, five boards and three steals. Alston added eight points and five rebounds.

Head Coach Erik Smiles and his LIU Post squad return to the court Wednesday (Dec. 9), when they continue their four-game homestand versus ECC arch-rival University of Bridgeport at the Pratt Recreation Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.