Brooklyn, N.Y. – The Long Island University men’s basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak and handed Wagner its first Northeast Conference loss with a 85-65 win at the Wellness Center on Thursday night. The Blackbirds improved to 10-6 on the year, matching their win total from last season. Senior Eugene Kotorobai (Richmond Hill, Ontario) led four LIU players in double-figures with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The Blackbirds (10-6, 2-3 NEC) shot 44.2 percent from the field for the game, including a 10-of-20 effort from the three-point arc. Long Island also took advantage of 43 free throw attempts, making 29, while Wagner was just 5-of-8 from the line.
LIU looked nothing like the team that shot just 29.4 percent at Central Connecticut State on Monday night. The Blackbirds jumped out to a quick lead on consecutive three-pointers from Kotorobai. A three-pointer from sophomore Jaytornah Wisseh (Brooklyn, N.Y.) gave LIU a 14-4 lead in the early going before the Seahawks stormed back to take a 22-20 lead. Durell Vinson started the run with a layup and then capped it with a tip-in at the 10:18 mark.
The Blackbirds used the three-point shot to go back in front 28-24 following freshman David Hicks’ (Mendota Heights, Minn.) third trifecta of the half. In all, LIU’s first seven field goals came from the arc. Freshman Kyle Johnson (Ajax, Ontario) hit a jumper at the 5:27 mark for the first two-pointer of the night for LIU. A 12-4 run gave LIU a 40-30 at the break.
Long Island opened the second half on a 9-2 run to take a 49-32 lead at the 15:38 mark. The Blackbirds benefited from a pair of technical fouls assessed to the Seahawks during that stretch, converting six foul shots. A jumper by senior Kellen Allen (Mansfield, Texas) gave LIU its largest lead of the game at 60-38 with 11:27 to play. Vinson, Wagner’s leading scorer, fouled out on the next possession and the Seahawks didn’t get closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
Kotorobai hit four three-pointers and hit 8-of-12 from the line. Johnson chipped in with 20 points off the bench, while Hicks scored a career-high 18 points. Wisseh rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points.
Jamal Smith led Wagner (12-5, 5-1 NEC) with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Mark Porter added 11 points, while Vinson was held to just 10 points – all in the first half. The Seahawks shot 37 percent from the floor and were just 6-of-25 from three-point range.
Long Island travels to Quinnipiac for a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 19. The men’s game tips off at approximately 4:00 p.m. following the women’s game.
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