BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU men's basketball team moved to 4-3 in the Northeast Conference Wednesday night after falling to Merrimack at home, 68-63. Junior Jermaine Jackson Jr. was the high scorer for the Sharks in the loss, with 22 points.
 
SHARK BITES

• LIU took its first lead of the game early, when Jackson made a three to put LIU up, 3-2. But the Warriors would answer with an 8-0 run that gave them then 10-3 advantage, and led from there.
• Not long after, the visiting team would string together a 14-5 run that would widen the gap to 24-13. Merrimack would continue to lead, and added a three as the buzzer sounded to end the first half, taking a 34-32 lead into the locker room.
• The Warriors continued the push into the second half, opening the stanza on a 10-3 run to take their largest lead of the game, 44-26 at 17:09.
• But in the final six minutes of the game, LIU made a big push The Sharks would string together a 13-3 run over five minutes, cutting the lead to just five points on a layup from Eral Penn, 63-58 with 1:32 to play.
• In the last 90 seconds of the game, LIU would cut the lead down to as few as three points twice, including 66-63 with 10 seconds to play, but Merrimack would hold on to take the win in the end, 68-63.
• Jackson led the Sharks with 22 points, including three three-pointers, and going a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line.
• Sophomore Alex Rivera was next, with 17 points, including three rebounds and three assists.
• Junior Eral Penn had a double double, with 16 points (7-for-13 from the field), and 10 rebounds. He also added three blocks and two steals.
• Senior Ty Flowers led the team with five assists, while junior Virshon Cotton had four assists.
• Up next, the Sharks get another shot at the Warriors, facing off against them Thursday, January 28 at 1 p.m.