EMMITSBURG, Md. – The Long Island University men's basketball team had to play not one but two extra periods in Knott Arena Saturday afternoon to determine the winner, but it was the home team, Mount St. Mary's, who came out on top in the end, 82-73. The Sharks (5-9, 0-1 NEC) were led by 25 points from senior Raiquan Clark, while the Mountaineers (5-10, 1-1 NEC) had two players scored 20+ points for their first Northeast Conference win of the year.
 
GAME BREAKDOWN
The game was not one of the strongest for the Sharks. LIU would struggle to make shots throughout the game, as the Sharks shot just 13.8 percent from three (their lowest total of the season so far) and 34.2 percent from the field overall. But Saturday's contest started well for LIU, with the visiting team jumping out to a 5-2 lead early on. Two straight baskets from sophomore Virshon Cotton eventually put LIU up, 14-7 with 13:29 to play, which would prove to be their largest lead of the contest.

From there, however, Mount went on a 14-0 run, taking the lead, 21-14 with just over eight minutes left in the first half. Though the Sharks would battle back and take the lead on a layup from Clark, 25-24, with 4:31 on the clock, Mount would finish the half on a 5-0 run, and lead at the break, 33-28.

Early in the second half, the home team used another 8-0 run to take a 12-point lead on the Sharks, 44-32, but LIU would continue to battle back. Clark and Flowers would battle to bring LIU within fighting distance, and then senior Ashtyn Bradley hit a three-pointer at the seven-minute mark which cut the lead to 52-51.

Jermaine Jackson Jr. then went to work. The sophomore scored 10 of his 14 points in the last five minutes of regulation, driving the game to the first overtime tied up, 65-65. In the first overtime period, the Sharks answered Mount shot for shot, and had a chance to win with four seconds left, but the potential and-one didn't fall. Instead, Clark made two free throws to tie the game up 71-71, and a second overtime period was underway.

The final overtime period was all the Mountaineers, as LIU managed to score only two points to Mount's 11, and the home team took the win, 82-73.
 
SHARK BITES

• Senior Raiquan Clark had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead LIU. Junior Ty Flowers was next, with 14 points and 11 rebounds, along with two steals.
• Sophomore Jermaine Jackson Jr. finished with 14 points and four assists.
• The Mount was led by 26 points from Damian Chong Qui and 23 points from Malik Jefferson.

 
UP NEXT
LIU returns home to Brooklyn to host Central Connecticut State, Thursday, January 9 at 7 p.m.