SYRACUSE, N.Y. –  The Long Island University men's basketball team (14-15, 10-4 NEC) secured second place in the Northeast Conference's final standings with a 76-61 win over Le Moyne College (9-20, 4-10 NEC) on Saturday afternoon. Up just two points at halftime, the Sharks used a second-half 19-0 run to surge to victory, securing the No. 2 seed in next month's conference tournament. Brent Davis paced six Sharks in double figures with 17 points.

"It was a great TEAM win," said head coach Rod Strickland. "Balanced offense and tough defense helped us to clinch second place."

After a back-and-forth opening 20 minutes that saw the Sharks up eight points, 17-9, with 11:30 to play in the half, and down seven, 28-21, moments later, LIU took a 36-34 lead into the locker room.

To open the second half, Malachi Davis scored four straight points on a pair of free throws and a paint jumper, putting the Sharks up six, 42-36. But the Dolphins responded and used a 12-5 run, capped by a three-point play by Deng Garang, to give Le Moyne a brief 48-47 lead.

Moments later, Brent Davis converted a pair of free throws, restoring LIU's edge, 49-48, an advantage the Sharks never relinquished. Davis's foul shots sparked the game-defining run that featured 13 consecutive defensive stops and built a 66-48 lead.

With 3:27 remaining, LIU held its largest lead of the game, 72-50.

Defense played a key role in LIU's victory. The Sharks held the Dolphins to just 27 points in the second half and 38.9-percent second-half shooting, after Le Moyne eclipsed 50 percent in the first half. For the game, LIU held Le Moyne to 44.7 percent from the floor and 31.3 percent from the 3-point line, while forcing 20 turnovers via 13 steals.

Brent Davis, the NEC's leader in steals (2.4 SPG), swiped the ball five times tying a career high and setting a new season high. Terell Strickland followed Brent Davis with 15 points. Malachi Davis and Blake Lander each scored 12. Jamal Fuller and Shadrak Lasu added 10 apiece.

AJ Dancler led Le Moyne with 17 points and was the only Dolphin in double figures.

LIU returns to action on Thursday at the Steinberg Wellness Center versus Wagner College, as the Sharks celebrate Senior Night in the penultimate game of the regular season. Opening tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.