Huge Win Has Blackbirds Poised to Return to NEC Playoffs

Story by Brandon Glogau

On Thursday night the LIU Brooklyn men’s basketball team—looking to recover from a disappointing 81-64 loss last Saturday to cross-town rival St. Francis Brooklyn—hosted Robert Morris, the Northeast Conference’s number 2 seed. Thanks to an all-around effort, the Blackbirds pulled off a huge upset, beating the Colonials 72-65, LIU’s first win over Robert Morris since the 2012 Northeast Conference Tournament championship game.

With the win, the Blackbirds (9-13; 5-6 NEC) remain in the hunt for their first NEC post-season tournament since 2013. The visiting Colonials (11-12; 7-4 NEC) fell into a third place tie with Saint Francis, PA, which visits LIU’s Steinberg Wellness Center this afternoon for a game at 4:30 p.m.

Freshman Martin Hermannsson led the Blackbirds with 17 points, while sophomore Joel Hernandez and senior Gerrell Martin added 15 points each. Nura Zanna, a regular contender for NEC Rookie of the Week honors, tacked on 10 points and 6 rebounds. LIU was able to hold on for the win after squandering much of a 12-point lead with four minutes to go in game. Despite shooting 38% from the field and just 23% from behind the 3-point line, the Blackbirds outscored the Colonials in every category with 34 points in the paint, 23 points off of turnovers and 16 second chance points. The LIU bench also provided a timely lift by contributing 13 points.

Up next for LIU is Saint Francis, PA (13-9; 7-4 NEC). The Red Flash come to Brooklyn riding a three-game winning streak, thanks to the stellar play of forward Earl Brown. The 6-6 senior averages 15.5 points per game and is the first scoring option for the team, followed by sophomore Malik Harmon, averaging 9.5 points ppg. In what may be the game’s decisive match-up, Blackbirds’ forward Hernandez will battle Brown, his Red Flash counterpart.

With the regular season coming to a close at month’s end, the Northeast Conference playoff picture is coming into focus. The NEC’s top eight teams qualify for its postseason tournament, and the top four get home court advantage. St. Francis Brooklyn (15-9; 9-2 NEC) holds down the conference’s top spot, and—with three straight NEC wins—the Terriers remain the favorite for the NEC’s top seed. Bryant University (11-11; 8-3 NEC) sits in second place, while both Saint Francis, PA and Robert Morris are tied for the number 3 seed. Mount Saint Mary’s (11-12; 6-5 NEC) and Wagner University (8-14; 6-5 NEC) are tied for the 5th seed. LIU Brooklyn sits in 7th place, a game ahead of Sacred Heart (10-14; 4-7 NEC) and just two games out of hosting a home playoff game with seven games to play, including today’s match-up.

PHOTO CAPTION: LIU’s Glenn Feidanga powers past Robert Morris defenders for a layup
PHOTO CREDIT: Bob Dea

Brandon Glogau is currently a sports reporter for The Seawanhaka, LIU Brooklyn’s school newspaper. At East Meadow High School in Long Island, Glogau was the girls/boys varsity basketball announcer as well as a sports reporter for the school newspaper.