BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Senior Aary Bibens was perfect from beyond the arc, scoring a game-high 21 points to lead the LIU Post men's basketball team past Mercy College, 79-67 in a battle of playoff hopefuls Feb. 3 inside the Pratt Recreation Center.
 
Saturday marked the first home game for the Pioneers since Jan. 17, after a three-game road trip. The Green and Gold improved to 7-5 in East Coast Conference play this season with the win, while Mercy slips to 5-8 in league play.
 
Bibens finished the day 7-of-10 from the field, including a 5-of-5 effort from beyond the arc. The Vermont native added five rebounds on the day, along with one assist. Sophomore Jared Rivers knocked down four triples en route to a 16-point performance, and freshman Austin Kennedy drilled 3-of-6 attempts from deep and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line for 13 points. Senior Kyle Taylor-McLeggan chipped in 12 points on the day on 4-of-8 shooting, including a key dunk and three-pointer late to seal the victory. On the glass, sophomore Kyle Doucette grabbed 13 rebounds helping to lead the Pioneers to a 42-26 advantage on the glass.
 
The Green and Gold started the game on a 20-2 run, hitting seven of its first 12 shots while holding Mercy to just 1-of-10 shooting. Doucette dropped in a team-best seven points during that stretch, including just his second made three-pointer of the season. The Pioneers were not done however, as three minutes later an 8-0 burst behind buckets by Bibens, Kennedy, and McLeggan put them up 31-10 with seven minutes remaining in the opening half. Another eight-point burst gave LIU Post its largest lead of the half at 26 points (41-15) late, and the Pioneers eventually went into the locker room leading 48-26 at the half.
 
Mercy did not fold however, as the Mavericks used a 23-8 run late in the second half to cut the deficit down to 12 points (72-60) with 3:15 remaining. McLeggan had the response though, beating his defender on the right wing for a one-handed slam and followed up with a step-back three-pointer on the following possession to put the game out of reach.
 
The Pioneers will look to keep momentum on their side Wednesday when they host Molloy for another key battle beginning at 7:00 p.m.