BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Dec. 3, 2014) - Three Pioneers scored in double figures Wednesday, but it wasn't enough, as the LIU Post men's basketball team dropped its 2014-15 East Coast Conference opener to Bridgeport, 86-84, at Harvey Hubbell Gymnasium.

Senior guard P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) led the green and gold with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor. In his first appearance of the season, senior forward Tyuan Williams (Newark, N.J.) provided 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Fellow senior forward Charles McCann (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) collected 11 points and seven rebounds.

Down 38-28 late in the opening stanza, the Pioneers (3-3, 0-1 ECC) reeled off a 13-6 run in a stint of 2:19 to close the gap to 44-41 at the 3:31 mark. Junior guard Akosa Maduegbunam (Hyde Park, Mass.) knocked down a pair of threes in the spurt. Torres buried a trifecta to cap it off, as well.

LIU Post, which shot at an impressive 54.5 percent (18-of-33) clip from the field in the first half, trailed 50-44 at the intermission.

In the latter session, Bridgeport (3-3, 1-0 ECC) held as much as a nine-point advantage nearly three minutes in. Shortly thereafter, the visitors fought back with a 12-3 run to go in front, 65-64, at the halfway point of the period. Williams converted a three-point play and netted 1-of-2 attempts from the line in the streak. Torres drilled a jay from inside the paint to give the green and gold the lead.

The Purple Knights answered though, using a 13-5 burst, paced by six of Ernest Rouse's (Freeport, N.Y.) game-high 28 points, to re-gain the edge (77-70) with 7:20 remaining.

From there, UB and LIU Post traded baskets, until the final minute of regulation. Torres hit two free throws at the 53-second mark to make it a one-point contest (85-84).

Torres also had the opportunity to win it for the Pioneers. His potential game-winning three-pointer rimmed out as time expired.

Head Coach Erik Smiles and his LIU Post squad are back in action Saturday (Dec. 6), when they travel to Oakdale, N.Y. to face ECC rival Dowling. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.