STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Long Island University men's basketball team (17-8, 11-1 NEC) pulled away late from Wagner College on Thursday night, leaving Staten Island with a 67-57 win over the Seahawks.  

Thursday's first half saw seven different lead changes over the first 12 minutes of the game, with Wagner leading by as many as seven points with under a minute remaining in the first half. A made three-pointer by junior Jomo Goings, followed by a steal by graduate student Caleb Johnson and a dunk by graduate student Jamal Fuller, cut the Seahawk lead to 35-33 with just seconds to go before halftime. 

The Sharks snatched the lead back early in the second half on a dunk by sophomore Shadrak Lasu, later extending their lead to eight points at the under-16 timeout. Wagner continued to battle with the Sharks, eventually taking a one-point lead with 6:01 remaining in the game. LIU held the Seahawks to just one more point over the final six minutes, riding out to its eventual 10-point win. 

Goings tied his career-high with 26 points in the win, shooting 8-12 from the field and 9-11 from the free throw line, while Fuller (12 points) and senior Greg Gordon (10) also finished in double figures. Fuller paced LIU in both rebounds (nine) and assists (six), while Johnson finished the game with a career-high six steals. 

With Thursday's win, the Sharks strengthened their hold on the top of the NEC standings with an 11-1 mark in conference games, a four-game lead over the next two closes opponents (Central Connecticut State University and Le Moyne College). LIU also matched its win total from the 2024-25 season, winning its 17th game. 

LIU stays on the road on Saturday, Feb. 14, when the Sharks travel to face the University of New Haven at 1 p.m.