Box Score
Video Highlights (courtesy Pack Network)
Archived Game Video (courtesy Pack Network)
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Junior
David Hicks led four Long Island University men’s basketball players in double-figures to lift the home squad past Navy, 83-70, on Saturday night at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. Hicks matched a career-high with 18 points and corralled a career-high 10 rebounds as the Blackbirds never trailed in the contest, while improving to 1-2 on the season.
Long Island broke a 4-4 tie early on and quickly built a nine-point lead after junior
Kyle Johnson hit a pair of three-pointers and senior
Jaytornah Wisseh hit another to make it 13-4 at the 16:00 mark. A three-pointer by sophomore
Arnold Mayorga gave the Blackbirds their largest lead of the half at 20-10 with 13:05 left.
Navy (1-3) climbed back into the contest with an 8-2 run powered by a three-pointer and a pair of foul shots from Jordan Sugars to make it 26-23. The Midshipmen eventually tied the contest at 34-34 following two free throws by Romeo Garcia. A foul shot by freshman
Kenny Onyechi and two more just before the half from Hicks gave LIU a 39-36 lead.
The Blackbirds led 52-50 early in the second half when a three-pointer from Hicks was followed by a trey from Mayorga and a layup by freshman
Jamal Olasewere to make it 60-50. Johnson capped the 11-0 run to give LIU its largest lead of the game with a three-pointer at the 12:12 mark.
The Midshipmen used a last-ditch effort to get back into it after three foul shots from Chris Harris and a layup from Romeo Garcia bookended a Wisseh layup to make it 74-69, but that was as close as it got as LIU outscored Navy 9-3 the rest of the way.
Johnson scored 16 and Wisseh added 14 for the Blackbirds, while Onyechi scored a career-high 13 points. Wisseh also added a game-high seven assists. Olasewere finished with 9 points and seven boards in his first career start. Mayorga and sophomore
Michael Culpo grabbed six boards apiece off the bench to help LIU seize a 46-34 edge on the glass.
Harris led Navy with 17 points, while Sugars added 14 and Mark Veazey chipped in with 12 points and seven rebounds.
The Blackbirds are back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 24, when they host Saint Peter’s at 7:30 p.m.