Box Score BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Long Island University men's basketball team celebrated Senior Night Thursday in the Steinberg Wellness Center, and finished the night with four other things to celebrate as well: junior Ty Flowers hit his 1,000^th career point, the Sharks beat local rival Wagner, 74-66 behind sophomore Jack Ballantyne's first career double-double, and with the win and a Mount St. Mary's loss, LIU clinched the No. 4 seed in the Northeast Conference Tournament, and will host the quarterfinal round.
 
Got all that? In the words of Coach Derek Kellogg, "It was a good night to be a Shark."
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Prior to the game, the Sharks celebrated the senior class: Jashaun Agosto, Julian Batts, Ashtyn Bradley, Ganlandou Cisse, and manager Maxime Tondre. The starting five for the night reflected the five players who will graduated: Agosto, Batts, Bradley, Cisse and Raiquan Clark.
• Thought Wagner jumped out to an early senior, seniors Batts, Bradley and Agosto combined on back-to-back baskets to keep things in check. Clark would tie it up, and a three from Batts at 12:15 gave LIU its first lead of the game.
• Flowers would score his first basket of the night at 10:49, and just 34 seconds later, he was fouled. The redshirt junior went to the line, and made both, scoring his 1,000^th and 1,001^st career points. His points sparked an 8-0 run by the Sharks that would put them up, 18-9.
• LIU used two more small runs to widen the lead, and take a 34-25 advantage into the halftime break.
• The Sharks shot 54.2 percent from the field in the first half, while Wagner hit just 23.5 percent of theirs.
• After Wagner opened the second half scoring five unanswered points, the Sharks went on a 15-2 run that put them up, 49-32 with 13:52 to play.
• The Seahawks would answer by going on a 24-5 run that would give them the 56-54 lead with 6:24 to play.
• It was Jack Ballantyne who would get LIU the lead back, when he converted a three-point play at 5:44. Teammate Jermaine Jackson Jr. would hit a bit three to tie it up again, 60-60 with 3:36 to play, and then Flowers drew a foul on a made basket that gave the Sharks a 63-60 advantage.
• LIU would outscore Wagner 17-6 over the final 3:50 of play, taking the win over the Seahawks, 74-66.

 
SHARK BITES

• Jack Ballantyne led LIU, notching his first career double double. The sophomore would score a career-high 18 points, on 7-of-10 shooting, and also grab a career-high 12 rebounds.
• Sophomore Jermaine Jackson Jr. also had 18 points, including a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, and three three-pointers made.
• Senior Raiquan Clark had 14 points and 12 rebounds, along with six assists, while Flowers added 11 points, four rebounds and three blocks. Senior Julian Batts added nine points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Sharks.
• Up next, the Sharks travel to SHU for a Saturday matinee, February 29 at 3:30 p.m. The result of the contest will not affect either team's standings in the postseason. LIU will host the winner of the Mount St. Mary's/Fairleigh Dickinson game, which is taking place in Emmitsburg at 4 p.m. Saturday.