Men's Basketball Edged By Dowling, 89-87
Box Score OAKDALE, N.Y. (Jan. 30, 2016) - The LIU Post men's basketball team erased a 16-point second-half deficit on Saturday, but fell 89-87 to Dowling College in East Coast Conference action at Dowling Gymnasium.
Down 76-60 with eight-and-a-half minutes to go in regulation, the Pioneers (13-10, 8-4 ECC) reeled off a 24-7 run in a seven-minute stretch to grab a one-point lead (84-83) at the 1:04 mark. Junior guard
Jared Hall (South Orange, N.J.), who scored a team-high 25 points in the game, led the charge for LIU Post with seven points. Junior forward
Barrington Alston (Wilmington, Del.) added four points, including the go-ahead dunk.
However, Dowling's (10-9, 6-6 ECC) key free-throw shooting down the stretch sealed the win for the hosts. The Golden Lions made all six of their freebies in the final 48 seconds, while holding the Pioneers to just one made field goal.
In the first half, LIU Post trailed by one possession (16-13) nearly seven minutes in, until an 11-1 run in 2:33 gave the green and gold a 24-17 advantage with 10:57 remaining. Hall was again the key catalyst, sparking the streak with a game-tying trey and capping it off with a three-point play.
Dowling eventually re-gained the lead though, and brought a 10-point cushion (51-41) into the break. Junior forward Chris Millender (Coram, N.Y.) poured in 14 points for the hosts over the last 5:47, as the Golden Lions closed out the period on a 24-8 burst.
In addition to his team-leading 25 points, Hall grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists. Junior forward
Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.) recorded 18 points, five rebounds and two assists. Alston provided 11 points, five rebounds and three steals in 15 minutes off the bench. Senior guard
Devon McMillan (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and sophomore forward
Hunter Powell (Tustin, Mich.) chipped in 10 points apiece. McMillan pulled down a game-best 10 rebounds for a double-double, as well.
For the contest, the Pioneers shot 50.8 percent (32-of-63) from the floor, including a 53.3 percent (16-of-30) clip in the opening 20 minutes. They also were 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
Head Coach
Erik Smiles and his LIU Post squad wrap up their four-game road trip Wednesday (Feb. 3) in White Plains at the Westchester County Center against ECC nemesis Mercy College. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.