BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Long Island University men's basketball team (23-10, 15-3 NEC) defeated Wagner College 64-56 in the semifinals of the NEC Men's Basketball Tournament on Saturday afternoon, advancing to Tuesday's conference championship game.
LIU will take on Mercyhurst University in the NEC Championship Game on Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in Brooklyn. With Mercyhurst's current status as a reclassifying Division I institution, LIU secured the NEC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.
While the Sharks jumped out to an early lead on a three-point field goal by graduate student Jamal Fuller on their first possession, Saturday's first half finished as a back-and-forth affair between the Sharks and Seahawks.
No team led by more than six points — a 19-13 LIU lead, capped by a free throw by senior Greg Gordon — and each team entered halftime tied at 23. Fuller tied the game with a pair of free throws on LIU's final possession of the first half.
Wagner snatched an early lead with a made basket on its first possession of the second half, but the Gordon responded with an individual 4-0 scoring run to give the Sharks back the lead, which they would not relinquish the remainder of the game.
The Seahawks managed to trim LIU's lead to 48-47 with 5:37 remaining, though the Sharks closed out the game on a 16-8 scoring run.
Gordon paced LIU with 19 points, while Fuller (17), sophomore Shadrak Lasu (13), redshirt senior Malachi Davis (11) all scored in double figures. Lasu finished with 13 rebounds, posting his second double-double of the season, while the NEC Defensive Player of the Year Gordon led LIU with four steals.
LIU blocked eight shots in the win, including a career-high five from Fuller and three from Lasu.
Tuesday's NEC Championship Game will mark LIU's 10th appearance in the conference final in program history, and the first of the Sharks era of the program. LIU's last appearance was in the 2017-18 season, defeating Wagner 71-61 to reach the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Tip-off for the NEC Championship Game against the Lakers will be at 7 p.m. in Brooklyn on Tuesday, March 10.
