Men's Basketball Overcomes Early Deficit and Holds Off Late Rally to Defeat Golden Lions, 70-69
Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Jan. 30, 2013) – The LIU Post men's basketball team picked up its eighth East Coast Conference win of the season with a 70-69 victory against Dowling College on Wednesday evening in Pratt Recreation Center.
The Pioneers are 8-2 in ECC play this season and own an overall record of 13-5. The Golden Lions suffered their second consecutive ECC loss, dropping them to 4-6 in conference play and 7-11 overall.
A jumper by senior
Jonathan Kohler (Bordentown, N.J.) opened up the scoring for the game, but the Lions took a 9-8 lead on a jumper by junior Corwin Austin in the paint and led until nearly the middle of the second half. Dowling sank three three-point shots in fewer than four minutes to close out the half and went into the locker room leading 40-30 at the halftime break.
Dowling's Josh Malone hit a trey to open the second half and put the Golden Lions up by 13, but junior
Vaughn Allen (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) hit a shot in the paint more than three minutes into the second half to cut the Dowling lead to single digits. The Pioneers whittled away at the Dowling lead, and a Kohler layup gave the Pioneers a 54-53 lead with 10:01 to play that would carry them throughout the rest of the contest.
Kohler's score prompted a 13-5 LIU Post run that was topped by a three pointer from senior
Tobin Carberry (Hamden, Conn) that made it 65-58 in favor of the hosts. Dowling did not go away quietly however, cutting the lead to one on a layup from junior Leon Taylor before a costly technical foul on Austin with 1:15 remaining in the game. Carberry converted one free throw, making it 70-68, but despite forcing two turnovers, the Pioneers were unable to score and make it a four-point game.
Dowling had a shot at tying the game and forcing overtime with under 14 seconds to play, but a block by Kohler turned away Ronald Baker's shot, however, possession remained with the Golden Lions. Taylor rose up to take a jumper on the game's final possession, but sophomore
Tyuan Williams (Newark, N.J.) swatted the ball away for his second block of the game with under five seconds to play to seal the Pioneer's ninth home win.
Williams finished with a game-high 14 rebounds as well as 14 points, while Allen led LIU Post with 17 points. Kohler had a team-high five assists to go along with 15 points, and Carberry chipped in with a 12 –point night. The Pioneers held a 39-30 advantage on the glass.
Sophomore Darien Davis led all scorers with a season high 32 points coming off the bench for Dowling, going 12-15 from the floor including 5-6 from downtown. Malone added 13 points and Evan Maxwell scored 10 for the Lions, who shot 50.9 percent from the field (27-53)
Improved free throw shooting by LIU Post was crucial in the game, as the Pioneers shot 72.7 percent (16-22) from the line compared to 46.7 percent (7-15) in the first half. They took advantage of 27 Dowling fouls in the victory.
LIU Post will look to remain in sole possession of second place in the ECC when they host Molloy College at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, in Pratt Recreation Center.