HACKENSACK, N.J. – The LIU men's basketball team had a late surging win Friday night in the Rothman Center, as the Sharks fended off Fairleigh Dickinson, beating the Knights, 86-81. LIU had three players with 20-point performances, led by Jermaine Jackson Jr.'s 21 points, while Raiquan Clark and Ty Flowers each had 20 points in the win.
 
GAME BREAKDOWN
The game was one of wild swings. The Knights would take an early 8-2 lead on LIU, eventually widening that lead to 15-5 at the 14-minute mark in the first half. The Sharks would slowly chip away at the lead, including a three-pointer from Jackson at 5:31, that helped LIU come within one, 23-22. FDU would manage to pull away against until 3:57, when Jackson would hit another three. His basket was the first of a 10-0 run by LIU that would give the Sharks their first lead of the game. And LIU would hold on to lead at the halftime break, 37-35.
 
But the second half wouldn't start well. After a three from sophomore Jack Ballantyne, LIU wouldn't make a shot for nearly four minutes. The Knights used the chance to go on a 13-0 run, retaking the lead, 49-40. And FDU would hold on to that lead until the 11-minute mark. Then, it was sophomore Virshon Cotton who sparked a run. Cotton would hit a three and a layup, as a part of an 11-0 run for the Sharks, capped by back-to-back threes from Jackson Jr. that gave LIU the 62-57 advantage.
 
The last 10 minutes of the game saw the two teams trade the lead back and forth, with neither squad able to build on much of a lead. FDU would take the lead with 2:35 to play on a layup from Elyjah Williams. Four seconds later, the Sharks beat FDU's transition defense down the court, and Clark was able to dish it in to retake the lead. Less than 30 seconds later, LIU did it again, finding Clark open under the basket, to make it 79-76 for the visiting team.
 
FDU's Jahlil Jenkins would make a huge layup with just under a minute left, that would cut the gap to one point, 81-80, but on the next play, senior Julian Batts would hit an NBA-range three as the shot clock buzzer sounded. Batts' trey would put LIU on top, 84-80, and Cotton would go on to hit two free throws that would ice the win for LIU, 86-81.
 
SHARK BITES

• Sophomore Jermaine Jackson Jr. led LIU with 21 points and five assists. The Michigan native shot 7-for-14 from the field, including 5-for-9 from three-point range.
• Both Raiquan Clark and Ty Flowers had 20 points for LIU. Flowers also had 14 rebounds and two blocks for the Sharks.
• Sophomore Virshon Cotton added 16 points for LIU.
• Jahlil Jenkins led the Knights with 25 points.
• Up next, LIU heads to Loretto, Pa. to take on Saint Francis U., Sunday, February 23 at 4 p.m.