BROOKLYN, N.Y. — As LIU opens NEC play on Friday night, it will do so while hosting Le Moyne under the bright lights of the Barclays Center at 7 p.m.

The Sharks will once again hit the Barclays Center hardwood after playing there last season, hosting UAlbany in a Dec. 28, 2023 matchup. Returning Sharks Jason Steele, who had 9 points, and Terell Strickland, who came up with 5 steals and dished out 4 assists, will once again be among those looking to have strong performances on the big stage. Both players also scored in double-figures during their team's last matchup with Le Moyne last season, a 76-64 LIU victory on Feb. 22.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

LIU will be led by Malachi Davis, currently the NEC's second-leading scorer at 16.9 points per game. He scored 23 points on a season-high 11 of 14 shooting from the free-throw line in a recent Sharks home game against Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 18. Similarly, Strickland is ranked second in the conference with 4.9 assists per contest. He proved to be a steady performer on both ends of the floor, -- tallying 8 assists and 6 steals -- in LIU's last game against Lehigh on Dec. 21.

When redshirt freshman Tre'shawn Sheppard suits up for the Sharks on Friday, it won't be the first time he's hitting the Barclays Center hardwood. Sheppard, a Brooklyn native, previously played on the acclaimed court in high school -- as a member of Eagle Academy for Young Men II -- alongside fellow Shark Eddie Munyak. This season, Sheppard has scored in double-figures three times, most recently on Dec. 4 with a 10 point, 3 assist effort in LIU's season-high 103-53 win over York College.
 
Friday's game will be broadcast on NEC Front Row and ESPN+.