Men's Basketball Tips Off 2014-15 With 71-62 Loss to Franklin Pierce
Box Score BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 15, 2014) - On Saturday, the LIU Post men's basketball team opened up its 2014-15 campaign with a 71-62 loss to Franklin Pierce on Day One of the LIU Post Tip-Off Tournament at the Pratt Recreation Center.
Leading 11-9 just over four minutes into the game, the Pioneers (0-1) went on a quick 7-0 spurt to widen their advantage to 18-9 with 14:09 remaining. Senior forward
Charles McCann (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) scored the first four points of the run, via a lay-up and two free throws. Senior guard
P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) capped it off with a lay-up.
The Ravens (1-0) fought back, and cut the deficit to 25-20, before a 10-0 burst by the green and gold made it a 36-20 game at the 2:01 mark. Senior guard
Isiah Stokley (Queens, N.Y.) accounted for seven of the points. Sophomore forward
Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.) got things going with a one-handed dunk.
LIU Post, which shot at a 45.2 percent (14-of-31) clip from the field in the opening half, would carry a 36-28 edge into halftime. To that point, Stokley had led the Pioneers with 11 points, while McCann poured in 10 points.
In the latter stanza, Franklin Pierce kept riding the momentum from the end of the first half. Trailing by double digits (38-28), the Ravens reeled off a 20-4 streak over a seven-plus minute stretch to go in front, 48-42. The visitors drilled four trifectas in the run, one of which put them ahead (41-39) with 14:41 left.
LIU Post eventually re-gained the lead (52-51) on a Torres lay-up, but Franklin Pierce stole the show late in the contest. The Ravens, who built as much as an 11-point cushion, were an impressive 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) from downtown in the half.
Torres finished with a double-double in the contest, amassing 17 points and 10 rebounds. He also dished off five assists and rejected two blocks. Stokley registered 14 points and nine boards. McCann tallied 13 points and four rebounds. Junior guard
Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.) pulled down eight rebounds and allocated four assists. In his Pioneer debut, Dotson totaled seven points and two rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench.
Head Coach
Erik Smiles and the Pioneers return to action Sunday (Nov. 16), when they face American International on Day Two of the LIU Post Tip-Off Tournament. The contest is scheduled for a 3:15 p.m. start.