Box Score

SPARKILL, N.Y. (Feb. 14, 2015) - On Saturday, the LIU Post men's basketball team lost by a 68-64 final to St. Thomas Aquinas in East Coast Conference action at Aquinas Hall.

Knotted at 12-all with 11-plus minutes left in the first half, the Spartans (16-9, 13-3 ECC) used a 9-0 run to open up a nine-point lead (21-12) at the 8:25 mark. Sophomore guards Aaron Cust (Uniondale, N.Y.) and Chaz Watler (Brooklyn, N.Y.) bookended the spurt with jumpers.

Later in the period, STAC remained ahead by nine (27-18), until a quick six-point burst by LIU Post (12-11, 7-8 ECC) closed the gap to a one-possession game with 2:23 to go. Sophomore forward Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.) accounted for four of the points, including a rim-rocking dunk.

The Spartans, however, took a six-point advantage (36-30) into halftime, as Shaquille McFarlan (Mesic, N.C.) buried a three-pointer as time expired.

Despite trailing at the break, the Pioneers had a strong start to the second half. A 13-3 tear in the opening 5:01 gave the visitors a slight 43-39 edge. Five different players scored points in the run for the green and gold. Junior guard Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.) buried a trey to tie the game, while another Dotson dunk put his team ahead.

From there, the two squads traded baskets, until the hosts evened things up at 53-all with 8:16 remaining. That sparked a streak of three lead changes and two tied scores in the next four minutes, which ultimately led to STAC going in front for good.

Though LIU Post managed to keep the game close in the final seconds, a pair of McFarlan free throws at the six-second mark iced it.

Dotson and senior forward Tyuan Williams (Newark, N.J.) each amassed a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds in the loss. Burns totaled 14 points, three assists and two steals. Junior guard Chris Orozco (Tenafly, N.J.) added five points, five boards and two assists. Sophomore guard Jared Hall (South Orange, N.J.) chipped in five points and three rebounds. Senior guard P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) racked up five points, five assists and three boards.

Head Coach Erik Smiles and the Pioneers return to the hardwood Wednesday (Feb. 18), when they close out their short two-game road trip in Rockville Centre at Molloy. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.