Men’s Basketball Commence Three-game Road Trip

By Seren Jones
Staff Writer

The LIU Post men’s Basketball team endured a busy week as they travelled to the University of Bridgeport and Dowling College. The Pioneers commenced a three-game road trip with an 83-68 loss to East Coast Conference rival, Bridgeport Knights, at the Harvey Hubbell Gymnasium in Bridgeport, Conn.

Leading 15-14, six minutes into the game, the Purple Knights ac- celerated into a game-changing 19-4 run to extend their advantage to 34-18 by the eight minute mark. The first 20 minutes proved to be all the Purple Knights needed, as the Pioneers only managed to close the gap to as few as 13 points (81-68) by full time.

Even though senior forward, Vaughn Allen, posted a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds) against the Knights, he was disappointed with the final score. “We played with no energy and acted as though Bridgeport was going to give us the victory. We didn’t play with any urgency, and it showed on the score- board,” Allen said.

In spite of the final result, sophomore guard Akosa Maduegbunam, contributed a six-point, five-rebound effort. Freshman and junior guards Jared Hall and P.J. Torres added five points apiece, and junior forward Charles McCann chipped in five boards, four points, two assists and a pair of steals in 26 minutes off the bench.

Despite their loss, the Pioneers made a swift recovery as they got back on the road to face Dowling College in Oakdale, N.Y. Prior to the game, Allen stated, “We have to come out ready to play from tip-off. Dowling is a good team and they feed off their crowd at home.” He then added, “It’s one of the toughest places to play in the league, so we can’t make mistakes. We have to be ball strong and make the right plays.”

In a game where neither squad led by more than nine points, the LIU Post Pioneers suffered a 71-66 loss to Dowling in an East Coast Conference match-up at Dowling Gymnasium in Oakdale, N.Y. Although the Pioneers managed to equalize the score to 37 by the beginning of the second half, the Golden Lions came out on top, as a lay-up followed by two free throws sealed their victory.

Head Coach Erik Smiles and the Pioneers are back in action Wednesday, Feb. 19, when they conclude their three-game road trip at Mercy. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.