(boxscore)
1/7/06 --
Junior guard James Williams (DeSoto, Texas) had a season-high
23 points but Long Island University saw its tremendous rally
come up short, falling 83-74 to Central Connecticut State
on Saturday afternoon at Schwartz Center. Williams finished
with a season-best six 3-pointers in the loss.
Sophomore guard Randy Jones (W. Palm Beach, Fla.) registered
15 points, all from behind the arc, and senior forward
Aubin Scott (Hempstead, N.Y.) added 14 for the Blackbirds
(3-8,
0-2 NEC). Senior Justin Chiera scored 26 points and junior
Obie Nwadike recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds for the
Blue Devils (6-5, 2-0 NEC).
After jumping out to an early 9-2 lead, CCSU scored the
next 15 consecutive points to pull ahead, 24-2 at the
11:47 mark of the first half. LIU missed seven of its
first eight
field goal opportunities while the Blue Devils connected
on 11-of-18 to commence the game.
After CCSU took a 26-5 lead with 11:13 in the period,
the Blackbirds scored 15 of the next 19 points –nine
of those points coming from Williams - to cut the lead
to 30-20
with 5:19 showing. The Blue Devils took a 40-31 advantage
into the locker room.
The Blackbirds scored the first five points of the second
stanza but CCSU answered with seven of the next nine points.
A triple from Chiera, three of his 18 points of the half,
gave the Blue Devils a 47-39 lead with 16:45 remaining.
LIU countered, running off 13 unanswered points to take
its first lead of the game, 52-47 with 13:43 to play.
Jones tallied three of his five 3-pointers during the
run and
teammate Scott capped off the spurt.
Four ties followed over the next six minutes with neither
team leading by more than three points. With CCSU holding
a 66-65 advantage, Lenny Jefferson tallied six straight
points and Nwadike added a lay-up to quickly build a nine-point
cushion (74-65) with 4:01 showing. The Blue Devils went
6-for-6 in the final minute of play to seal the victory.
The Blackbirds hit the road for their next four games.
They hope to snap a four-game skid on Thursday, January
12 when
they travel to Loretto, Pa. to take on St. Francis (PA).
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