Men's Basketball Survives Overtime Scare at STAC, 92-90
Box Score
SPARKILL, N.Y. (Jan. 18, 2014) - On Saturday, a lay-up by junior guard
P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) with three seconds left in overtime broke a 90-90 tie, and gave the LIU Post men's basketball team a two-point win versus St. Thomas Aquinas at Aquinas Hall in Sparkill, N.Y.
Trailing 88-83 with just over a minute remaining in the extra session, a
Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.) basket on the fast break closed the gap to a one-possession game. Moments later, Torres netted a lay-up, and followed with a three-point play, off a Chaz Watler (Brooklyn, N.Y.) turnover, to put the visitors ahead.
Watler got retribution though, as he made a pair of free throws at the 11-second mark to even the contest at 90-apiece. Yet, Torres, who had the last seven points of overtime for the visitors, finished on a lay-in just before time expired to send LIU Post (11-5, 6-2 ECC) to the victory.
In the opening stanza, the two squads were knotted at 14-all, until the Pioneers went on a 16-4 run over a span of 5:29 to grab a 30-18 advantage with 8:10 to go. Torres and freshman guard
Jared Hall (South Orange, N.J.) each made a three in the spurt. Senior forward
Vaughn Allen (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) had four of the last six points.
The Spartans (7-7, 3-5 ECC) finished up strong though, using a 24-3 burst to rally to a 42-33 advantage before halftime. Graduate guard Eli Maravich (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and junior guard Marcus Henderson (Newburgh, N.Y.) combined to make four of five trifectas in the streak. STAC would bring a seven-point cushion (42-35) into the locker room.
Down 44-35 at the start of the second half, a 13-4 spurt by LIU Post tied the game yet again (48-48). Junior forward
Charles McCann (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) sparked the run with a lay-up. Junior guard
Isiah Stokley (Queens, N.Y.) rounded it out with a lay-in of his own.
From there, the two teams exchanged five tied scores and three lead changes, which eventually brought the contest into overtime.
The Pioneers and Spartans shot exceptionally well. LIU Post made 50.0 percent (36-of-72) of its shots, while STAC netted 61.0 percent (36-of-59) of its attempts. Stokley registered a double-double, collecting a game-best 23 points and 12 rebounds. Torres checked in 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds and four steals. Allen amassed 20 points and eight boards. Hall and sophomore guard
Akosa Maduegbunam (Hyde Park, Mass.) poured in 11 points each.
Head Coach
Erik Smiles and the PIoneers are back to the hardwood on Wednesday (Jan. 22), when they face Molloy in East Coast Conference action in Rockville Centre, N.Y. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.