LIU forces overtime, beats Daemen

Led by a second half charge that included a 13-point scoring advantage, the LIU Post men’s basketball team forced overtime on Wednesday, Nov. 30, against the Wildcats from Daemen College, before winning 73-70 at the Pratt Recreation Center in Brookville.
Behind 58-44 with 10 minutes left, the Pioneers went on a 21-7 run to tie the score at 65 with 30 seconds left. 
Senior guard Jared Hall, who finished with 12 points and four assists, had the game-tying basket. 
During that stretch, three pointers were the catalyst that brought the Pioneers back; senior guard Jemal Mosley knocked down a pair while senior forward Greg Dotston and junior guard Kyle McLeggan added three balls as well. 
Both the Wildcats and Pioneers had opportunities to win in regulation; both failed to do so. 
In the overtime, Mosley scored four points for the Pioneers and Dotson scored two points, to solidify the comeback win. 
Dotson had a game and season-high 24 points on 67 percent shooting from the field, which included five three-pointers. 
He also grabbed 10 boards for a double-double. Mosley finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists. 
The Pioneers returned to action on Saturday, Dec. 3, against American International College and it came down to the final possession. 
After the Yellow Jackets missed two free-throws, McLeggan attempted a game-tying three but was off the mark.
The Pioneers lost 85-82 and dropped to 2-6 this season. 
Hall scored 14 points, including three trey balls, grabbed five rebounds and totaled five assists. 
Freshman guard Jared Rivers also played well, leading the Pioneers in scoring with 17 on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. 
The matchup was very even and the only significant advantage the Yellow Jackets held was points off turnovers, which help contribute to the win. 
They scored 20 points compared to 10 for the Pioneers. 
The Pioneers totaled 18 turnovers, which was the second most they committed this season and shot just 37 percent from the floor. 
One of the Pioneers’ strengths so far this season has been defense. 
In their first matchup, they held the opposition to 35 percent shooting. 
In their matchup vs AIC, they allowed them to shoot 44 percent from the field. 
“We tell our guys if you can’t guard, then you can’t play here,” LIU Post head basketball coach Erik Smiles said before the season.
Smiles and his team will look to improve their record when they return to the court on Wednesday, Dec. 7, against St. Thomas Aquinas College. Game-time at the Pratt Recreation Center is set for 7:30 p.m. 
This article was originally published in the Pioneer, LIU Post’s award-winning student newspaper that is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2016, www.liupostpioneer.com. 
The article is republished by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.