Men's Basketball Falls to Merrimack in Final Tune-Up of 2015, 84-65
Box Score BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Dec. 30, 2015) - The LIU Post men's basketball team had its five-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in an 84-65 loss to Merrimack College in a pre-New Year's Eve non-conference match-up at the Pratt Recreation Center.
Holding a slight 21-19 lead with over seven minutes left in the first half, the Pioneers (9-3) went on a quick five-point spurt in a 42-second stint to widen the gap to 26-19 at the 6:37 mark.
Junior guard
Jared Hall (South Orange, N.J.), who scored 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting, capped the run with a lay-up on the fast break. Senior forward
Michael Phillip (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added a 2-for-2 trip to the foul line.
However, LIU Post trailed 40-37 at the break, as Merrimack (6-6) made its three-point attempts at a sizzling 61.5 percent (8-of-15) clip in the opening session, including five trifectas in the last 3:43.
In the second half, the Warriors got off to a furious start, opening the period on a 27-4 streak to expand their lead to 64-44 with 11:16 remaining. Merrimack built as much as a 22-point advantage (70-48) with 8:23 to go and never looked back.
In addition to his 22-point effort, Hall pulled down five rebounds and dished out three assists. Senior guard
Devon McMillan (Brooklyn, N.Y.) collected nine points, three steals and two assists. Junior forward
Barrington Alston (Wilmington, Del.) had six points and six boards in 27 minutes off the bench. Red-shirt sophomore guard
Aary Bibens (Bennington, Vt.) racked up seven points, three rebounds and two assists. Senior guard
Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.) accumulated six points, four boards, two assists and two steals.
Dotson crashed the glass for eight rebounds, to go along with three points. Phillip rejected six blocks, while totaling four points, five rebounds and one steal in the effort.
Head Coach
Erik Smiles and his LIU Post squad are back in action next Wednesday (Jan. 6), when they return to East Coast Conference play in Rockville Centre at Molloy College. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.