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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Julian Boyd had 20 points and 10 rebounds to help the Long Island University Blackbirds extend its home winning streak to 29-games with a 71–60 win over Lafayette at the Wellness Center on Saturday afternoon — but his run on the boards didn’t begin until after a much-needed bathroom break!
Boyd found his comfort zone following the pit stop at the end of the third quarter, kicking off a 6–0 run that gave the Blackbirds a 55–48 lead with under four minutes to play.
“He had an issue where he had to go to the bathroom so I had to take him out,” first-year Blackbird coach Jack Perri said, laughing. “When he came back in, I guess he was well rested, and he finished some of those baskets.”
The 6-foot-7 forward helped build a lead Long Island University would not relinquish. His team had already lost to Lafayette 98–94 in overtime at the Barclays Classic earlier this season.
Matching Boyd’s double-double effort was two of his teammates, who recorded the same feat. Jamal Olasewere, the team’s leading scorer, dropped in 15 points and grabbed 11 boards. As of Nov. 26, the tandem of Boyd and Olasewere was the third-highest scoring duo in the nation at 40 points per game.
Point guard Jason Brickman added 12 points of his own and dished out 10 assists. Dan Trist led Lafayette with 15 points.
But Boyd didn’t credit his late game spurt to his trip to the little boy’s room. Instead, he credited his floor general.
“When it comes to a late-game situation, you have to put the game away,” Boyd said. “I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to score those baskets without Brickman.”
The Blackbirds appear to be matching the same high level of play as last year, something the team will need to do if it hopes to win its third straight Northeast Conference crown. The team has appeared to have turned the corner after opening its season on a four-game skid that included losses to Maryland and Kentucky, the defending national champion.
Since then the Blackbirds have won two straight at home. Putting aside the gauntlet of a schedule the team had at the start of the year, Perri believes his team found its winning ways as a result of one thing, and perhaps one place — Long Island University’s home court.
“There’s always a comfort level when you play at home,” Perri said. “We stay focused, we all sleep in our own beds and we know our own routine.”