NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The LIU men's basketball team met with a hot-shooting Merrimack team on the road Friday night, and despite a late run, could not overcome the first half deficit, falling to the Warriors, 82-77.
 
SHARK BITES

• Merrimack was on fire in the first half, making 11 three-pointers. The Warriors shot a scorching 73 percent from behind the arc, and 63 percent from the field. LIU shot 50 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, but couldn't keep pace with Merrimack's output, and trailed, 47-30 at the half.
• The Sharks would rally in the second half and out-score the home team by 12, but it was not enough. LIU went to the line 26 times, making 19 of those shots, but the home team hit six more three pointers, and continued to shoot over 60 percent from the field as a team.
• Trailing by as many as 15 in the second half, the Sharks rallied in the final eight minutes. A 13-5 run, powered almost entirely by Ty Flowers cut the lead to five points, 78-73 with 3:36 to play. But Merrimack held on in the final minutes, taking the win, 82-76.
• Flowers, who was held nearly scoreless in the first half, erupted in the second stanza, and finished the night with a team and game-high 23 points, along with five rebounds, five assists and four steals.
• Eral Penn and Isaac Kante both finished the game with 18 points.
• Jordan McKoy led Merrimack's scoring with 21 points, going 7-for-11 from three-point range.
• With the loss, LIU is now 3-9 on the season, and 0-2 in NEC play, while the Warriors move to 2-0 in league action.
• Up next, the Sharks host Mount St. Mary's, Thursday, January 6 at 7 p.m.