BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 19, 2016) - On Saturday, the No. 10 and second-seeded LIU Post football team dispatched seventh-seeded Winston-Salem State University, 48-41, in an NCAA Division II Championship first-round contest at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.

Tied 14-14 after one quarter of play, the Pioneers (12-0), who have set a new single-season record for wins, broke through for 20 unanswered points to take a 34-14 lead with 1:27 left in the second quarter.

Red-shirt sophomore running back Malik Pierre (Holbrook, N.Y.) ran for back-to-back touchdowns in the outburst. Senior quarterback Jeff Kidd (Salem, Ore.) hooked up with red-shirt junior wideout James Higgins (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) for a 34-yard touchdown pass on the team's final drive of the half.

LIU Post eventually led 48-24 at the conclusion of 45 minutes of play, following Pierre's third touchdown run of the afternoon at the 1:08 mark of the third quarter.

Winston-Salem State (9-3) fought back though and closed the gap to a one-possession game (48-41) with 5:49 remaining in regulation.

However, a key third-down conversion between Kidd and red-shirt senior wide receiver Shane Hubbard (St. Albans, N.Y.) for a 31-yard pick-up sealed the victory for the Pioneers in the final minutes.

Kidd finished 25-of-34 passing for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Senior running back David White (Bronx, N.Y.) rushed for a team-high 134 yards on 20 carries. Pierre took 18 handoffs for 115 yards and three touchdowns.

Red-shirt junior defensive back Jared Chester (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) and junior defensive back Richard Wright (Brooklyn, N.Y.) each made a team-best seven tackles and recorded one interception. Senior linebacker Nate Feliz (Bronx, N.Y.) had six solo stops and one pass break-up. Senior defensive back Jhaleel Oswald (Rosedale, N.Y.) added five tackles (four solo, one assist).

In all, LIU Post outgained Winston-Salem State in total offense, 581-463. The Pioneers were a perfect 5-of-5 on fourth-down conversions in the contest.

Head Coach Bryan Collins and his LIU Post squad now advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. The Pioneers will host No. 3 and third-seeded Shepherd University next Saturday (Nov. 26) at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium in Brookville. The start time has not been announced as of yet.