AMHERST, N.Y. (Feb. 19, 2016) - The LIU Post men's basketball team battled back from a nine-point first-half deficit Friday to knock off Daemen College, 88-76, in East Coast Conference action at Lumsden Gymnasium.

Down 39-30 with just over two minutes left in the first half, the Pioneers (16-10, 11-7 ECC) went on an 11-1 run in a two-minute stint to take a 41-40 lead at the 17-second mark. Senior guard Devon McMillan (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and junior guard Jared Hall (South Orange, N.J.) knocked down back-to-back threes to ignite the burst. Junior forward Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.), who finished with a double-double (23 points, 13 rebounds) on the evening, scored the last five points to surge the green and gold ahead.

Despite eventually trailing 42-41 at the break, LIU Post shot 41.7 percent (15-of-36) from the field and 70.0 percent (7-of-10) from deep in the opening 20 minutes.

Under two minutes into the latter period, the Pioneers still trailed by one possession (44-41), until a 14-2 streak put the visitors in front for good. Hall led the charge, pouring in eight of his 20 points in the run. Junior forward Barrington Alston (Wilmington, Del.) and red-shirt sophomore guard Aary Bibens (Bennington, Vt.) also contributed baskets in the effort.

LIU Post would later extend its advantage to double digits, putting the game out of reach. McMillan netted a pair of free throws with 1:03 remaining, widening the gap to 86-74.

In addition to his 20-point night, Hall grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists. McMillan totaled 12 points in 21 minutes off the bench. Senior guard Dillon Burns (Howard Beach, N.Y.) had 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Fellow senior guard Akosa Maduegbunam (Hyde Park, Mass.) registered eight points and five boards.

For the contest, the Pioneers made 31-of-68 (45.6 percent) field goals, including a 12-of-21 performance (57.1 percent) from beyond the arc. They were also 14-of-22 (63.6 percent) from the stripe.

Head Coach Erik Smiles and his LIU Post squad wrap up their visit to Western New York on Sunday (Feb. 21), when they face Roberts Wesleyan College in an ECC tilt in Rochester at 3:30 p.m.