Blackbirds Show Up In The Nick of Time—Beat Quinnipiac in 1st Round of the 2013 NEC Men’s Basketball Tourney

In a knock-down, drag-out battle on Wednesday night that saw 53 fouls, six players foul out—including Quinnipiac’s top four players—16 ties and 17 lead changes, LIU Brooklyn men’s basketball team outlasted Quinnipiac for a second straight game, opening the 2013 Northeast Conference (NEC) Men’s Basketball Tournament with a 91-83 win at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center.

Eerily reminiscent of LIU’s 96-90 home win over Quinnipiac (15-16) last Saturday, the Blackbirds (18-13) came from nine points down late in the game to capture a third straight comeback win, extending LIU’s season for another game—this Saturday at arch-rival Wagner.

From the game’s opening minute, the crowd was buzzing with excitement, desperate for their team to win what is likely the season’s final home game. Spike Lee, Brooklyn’s most recognizable basketball fan, strolled in minutes before tip-off and took a seat under the Blackbird basket. From the referee’s first whistle, chants of “Dee-fence” and “Let’s Go Blackbirds” echoed throughout the WRAC.

The Blackbirds’ C.J. Garner felt the energy in the building. “We had a great crowd  and we really played off their energy,” said the senior guard, who led all scorers with 30 points. “They really helped us tonight.”

“We’ve got to give credit to them,” said LIU senior forward Jamal Olasewere (20 points), who this week was named 2013 Northeast Conference Player of the Year. “The crowd’s like a sixth man on the floor—they’re right there with us.”

Besides Lee, who last graced the WRAC’s bleachers in LIU’s 2012 NEC Championship win, family of former LIU coach Jim Ferry—who guided the Blackbirds to back-to-back NEC championships—were in the stands. Blackbird senior forward Kenny Onyechi, his playing time diminished by the emergence of freshman E.J. Reed, also showed up at the right moment to preserve LIU’s run to a third straight NEC championship.

Quinnipiac, which in July will leave the NEC for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, opened the game determined to exit their final visit to the WRAC with a win. Sophomore forward Ousmane Drame, who led the Bobcats with 23 points, showed a deft shooting touch five to seven feet from the basket. When Drame wasn’t hitting shots, he and his teammates dominated the glass, racking up a total of 47 rebounds, including 23 on the offensive boards as Quinnipiac out-rebounded LIU by 15.

Drame had 13 first half points, junior forward Ike Azotam contributed 12 points, and sophomore guard Evan Conti chipped in 7 points and five rebounds. Behind the first half scoring of Garner (12 points) and Olasewere (8 points) LIU remained within striking distance, trailing Quinnipiac 47 to 43 at intermission.

When the Bobcats took a 70-61 lead with a nine minutes remaining in the game, things looked grim for the Blackbirds. Olasewere was languishing on the bench with four fouls. Quinnipiac was getting to the foul line with alarming regularity. The energy level in the WRAC began to wane.

During an LIU time out, C.J.’s mother Sheree Evans-Garner, stood up, pointed at the crowd sitting behind the LIU players bench, and yelled: “We are NOT giving up! If you are in this section you ARE cheering for LIU!”

Perhaps it was coincidence, or maybe Garner heard his mom calling out the LIU faithful, but the Blackbirds hit the court with renewed energy. LIU had help in overtaking Quinnipiac, as the visitors had a sudden aversion to shooting. Quinnipiac’s Drame missed four straight attempts at the charity stripe, going 2 for 8 at the line after intermission. Drame’s futility was part of a dreadful second half shooting performance by the Bobcats, who shot 39% from the field and just 53% from the free throw line.

As LIU pressed for the lead at the seven minute mark, the referees again went to their whistles, with the Bobcats worse for the attention. In a five-minute stretch, Quinnipiac players were hit with seven fouls, as starters Ike Azotam, Zaid Hearst and Dave Johnson fouled out of the game. 30 seconds after Johnson left the court, Drame picked up his fifth foul and was gone.

But it was not just Quinnipiac’s shooting futility the referees’ quick whistles, or the LIU fans that caused the Bobcat’s second-half collapse. With Olasewere on the bench, C.J. Garner took over. Garner scored 10 of LIU’s points in a 21-10 run that gave the Blackbirds a lead they would not relinquish.

With 2 minutes remaining and LIU clinging to an 82-80 lead, Onyechi, LIU’s massive post player, then came up huge. First, he blocked a shot by Quinnipiac’s James Ford, leading to a Garner pull-up jumper. After Ford turned the ball over, junior point guard Jason Brinkman found Onyechi under the basket for a thunderous dunk that ignited the crowd and had Spike Lee high-fiving LIU fans.

According to LIU coach Jack Perri, who recorded his first ever NEC playoff win, “Things were looking a little bleak, down nine, but our guys stepped it up. We got the big stops and made the big plays down the stretch.”

Recognizing that it was a team effort that picked up the Blackbirds after Olasewere fouled out with three and a half minutes remaining, Perri said, “Just like last Saturday, Brandon Thompson and Kenny Onyechi stepped up. It was great to see that, especially with Jamal fouling out.”

After the game, Bose Olasewere—LIU’s most vocal fan and mother to Blackbird star Jamal—was emphatic. “I want Wagner! We are going there and winning the ballgame!”

Blackbird fans will find out if Bose is right beginning at noon on Saturday at Wagner’s Spiro Sports Center.