BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Dec. 17, 2016) - Tied 36-36 at the break, the LIU Post men's basketball team reeled off an 11-0 run to start the second half in an 80-71 victory over East Coast Conference rival New York Institute of Technology Saturday at the Pratt Recreation Center.

Freshman guard Richard Altenord (Dix Hills, N.Y.) ignited the burst with a lay-up on the opening possession of the half. Junior guard Kyle McLeggan (Jersey City, N.Y.) wrapped it up with a three-pointer.

Freshman forward Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.), who recorded his second-straight double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds) in the win, added a lay-up of his own for the Pioneers (4-7, 3-1 ECC).

The green and gold eventually led by as much as a 14-point margin (58-44) in the period, but the Bears (2-7, 1-4 ECC) clawed back into the contest.

NYIT responded with a 9-0 spurt in a two-minute stint to close the gap to 58-53 at the 8:36 mark. Junior guard Dominic Josephs (Far Rockaway, N.Y.) drilled a bucket in the paint with 8:36 left to make it a two-possession game.

That was as close as the visitors got though, as freshman guard Jared Rivers (Westbury, N.Y.) knocked down a three from the corner only 10 seconds later to silence the Bears' comeback effort.

McLeggan scored a game-high 17 points off the bench in the victory. Senior guard Jemal Mosley (Nanuet, N.Y.) totaled 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. Fellow senior guard Jared Hall (South Orange, N.J.) had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Red-shirt junior guard Aary Bibens (Bennington, Vt.) added seven points and four rebounds.

For the game, the Pioneers shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field, including a 48.1 percent (13-of-27) clip in the second half. They also committed just 10 turnovers and outscored NYIT by an 18-9 count on the fast break.

Head Coach Erik Smiles and his LIU Post squad return to action on Friday, Dec. 30, when they travel to North Andover, Mass. to face Merrimack College in a non-conference showdown. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.