Game Details:  Wednesday, Feb. 28 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: Pratt Recreation Center | Brookville, N.Y.
Game Links:  Watch Live | Live Stats | Live Audio
Twitter: @LIUPostPioneers | @LIUPMBB
LIU Post Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats 
Molloy Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats

THE FIRST LOOK
 
The LIU Post men's basketball team snapped a four-game skid with an 86-80 victory against Roberts Wesleyan College on Sunday, Feb. 25 to secure the number four seed in the East Coast Conference (ECC) Tournament and lock in a home game for the play-in round. Sophomore guard Jared Rivers scored 30 points on the day to help the Green and Gold earn the win.
 
Despite boasting an 11-17 overall record and 9-9 mark in ECC play, the Pioneers are 5-2 on the home court since the calendar changed to 2018, winning four straight before getting tripped up by Saint Thomas Aquinas and Daemen.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
 
LIU Post has had success against Molloy historically, recording a 47-11 record against the Lions, and have only dropped five contests at home throughout the series. In the last 10 meetings, the Green and Gold have gone 7-3, outscoring Molloy 705-664.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
 
LIU Post swept the season series, but it did not come easy for the Pioneers. The most recent meeting between the schools came on Feb. 7 inside the Pratt Recreation Center, as the Green and Gold earned an 89-83 triumph in overtime. Senior Kyle Taylor-McLeggan scored a game-high 24 points in the win, while senior Aary Bibens chipped in seven points during the overtime period. Sophomore Nick Corbett added a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists for Molloy.
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
 
The Pioneers enter the postseason averaging 72.71 points per game, having scored 75 or more on 10 occasions. The LIU Post backcourt has carried the load this season, as 75 percent of the team's scoring has come from the guard position. Rivers leads the Pioneers and ranks third in the ECC with 18.7 points per game, while Bibens is the only other Pioneers to average double figures with 11.3 points. With a four-guard lineup featured predominantly by head coach Erik Smiles, sophomore Kyle Doucette has seen the majority of the playing time in the low post, averaging 25.5 minutes per game. The 6-8 forward ranks third in the conference with 7.8 rebounds per game, while chipping in 6.5 points per contest.
 
Finding the touch from the outside will be key against Molloy, as the Pioneers average nearly 10 made three-pointers per contest, while the Lions rank eighth in the ECC in three-point field goal defense (36.9 percent).
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
 
Molloy finished the regular season record with an 8-20 mark overall and 7-11 in ECC play. After a nine-game losing streak put Molloy at 3-16 for the season, the Lions finished the season 5-4, but were unable to win consecutive games during that stretch.
 
As a team, the Lions average 71.9 points per game while allowing 79.5 points. Corbett leads the Lions with 17.7 points per game, ranking fourth in the conference. Three players average double figures, as juniors Curtis Jenkins and Mike Torre are right behind with 15.6 and 13.0 points, respectively. Jenkins also is a force on the boards, despite being listed at just 6-2, averaging a team-best 6.9 rebounds per game, while also adding a team-high 91 assists on the season.

TICKET INFORMATION

The first 50 LIU Post students with a valid student I.D. will be admitted free of charge to Wednesday's game. All other spectators will be charged admission at a rate of $8 for adults, and $4 for senior citizens and students. For fans that cannot make it to Brookville, live video will be available on the ECC Network and live audio will be available courtesy of WCWP.org/88.1 FM. Fans can also follow along with live stats at www.liupostpioneers.com.