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By Richard Kagan
Brooklyn Daily
Long Island University broke its four-game losing streak in thrilling fashion last Sunday.
The Blackbirds won the game on a scramble after a Troy Joseph block, with senior point guard Jason Brickman feeding a pass up to Gerrell Martin, who dashed to the hoop and laid it in before the buzzer to give Long Island University a 74–72 win over Norfolk State at the Wellness Center Dec. 1.
“Jason ran the lane and I knew he was going to find me,” Martin said.
LIU trailed most of the game, and tied it up eight times, before finally getting the winning shot. Martin, who tallied a team-high 16 points, is seeing more playing time because of the loss of key seniors and the knee injury to star forward Julian Boyd. Martin knew he would had a good chance to score on the final play.
“It was a great feeling,” Martin said. “It was a crazy game. I’m proud of our team.”
Blackbirds coach Jack Perri is mixing and matching his lineup with some junior college transfers and a few freshmen players. However, all five starters scored in double digits — notably Brickman. He added 10 points and 14 assists, his biggest coming in the game-winniong play.
Landon Atterberry, a 6-foot-6 junior forward, is playing center for now and is out of position. He held his own against the 7-foot Brandon Goode. Atterberry had 15 points and grabbed six rebounds. Sophomore E.J. Reed had 13 points, and Joseph added 12 points.
The Spartans (5–3) return guard Pendarvis Williams, the reigning Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, who had 14 points. Norfolk State has eight seniors returning from its 21-win season a year ago. Guard Malcom Hawkins scored a game-high 21 points, with seven coming in the second half.
Perri knew this would be a tough game, and it certainly was a close one. LIU struggled to contain the Spartans’ quickness, but the Blackbirds team locked them down when it need too and was out-rebounded by just 35–32.
Long Island University (2–4) connected on 12 3-pointers to just seven for Norfolk State to help it squeak by. Perri said what was difference in the second half was the Blackbirds hitting on 14 of 27 attempts from the floor. LIU goes back on the road for three games and returns to home to face Lamar on Dec. 18.
“This team is still a work in progress,” Perri said. “We’re trying to get better and get ready for conference.”