BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU men's basketball team increased its winning streak to three-straight Saturday afternoon in the Steinberg Wellness Center, as the Sharks beat Central Connecticut State, 83-61.
Ty Flowers and
Alex Rivera accounted for 51 of LIU's points in the Northeast Conference win.
SHARK BITES
- The game did not get off to a promising start, with the Blue Devils jumping out to a 12-1 lead over the first seven minutes of action. But senior Alex Rivera would spark LIU's comeback.
- At 13:09, Rivera made LIU's first field goal of the game, a three pointer on which he also drew a foul. The four-point play woke up LIU's offense, and changed the momentum of the game.
- Over the next six minutes, the Sharks went on attack, scoring 21 straight points, led by 10 from Rivera. The run put LIU on top, 22-12, and the Sharks wouldn't trail again.
- Another 8-0 run towards the end of the first half widened the lead to 36-22, and LIU maintained the lead into the break, 39-27.
- The Sharks led by double digits for the entirety of the second half. Flowers gave LIU a 22-point cushion just before the ten-minute mark with a three pointer, one of five he would have in the contest.
- LIU's largest lead of the game came in the final two minutes, when free throws by sophomore Jake Cook put LIU up, 83-59. A late final layup by CCSU made the final score 83-61 for the Sharks.
- Flowers led scoring for all players, with 30 points, along with seven rebounds and a team-high seven assists.
- Alex Rivera was on fire for LIU, scoring a career-high 21 points. Rivera made six threes on the night, shooting 7-for-8 from the field. He also had four assists, three rebounds, three steals and a block in 29 minutes of action.
- Senior Eral Penn added 12 points for LIU, along with four rebounds and two steals, while senior Isaac Kante led the Sharks on the boards with nine rebounds.
- Sophomore Kyndall Davis added eight points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in a stat-sheet filler.
- With the win, LIU moves to 6-9 overall, and 3-2 in Northeast Conference action. Up next, the Sharks take on local rival St. Francis Brooklyn on the road, Monday, January 17.