Liu Brooklyn just needed one play in the final minutes — a made shot, a defensive rebound, a drawn charge — that never materialized.
As a result, the Blackbirds saw their six-game winning streak snapped by bitter rival Robert Morris.
Velton Jones’ floater in the lane with 12 seconds remaining sent the Colonials to a dramatic 60-57 win Saturday in a rematch of the last two Northeast Conference championship games.
Unlike those contests at the Wellness Center, Robert Morris (15-8, 7-3) left downtown Brooklyn victorious and dropped LIU (11-11, 6-4) into third place in the NEC.
The Blackbirds seemed in control after storming back from an eight-point deficit late in the second half, going ahead on Jamal Olasewere’s basket with 2:09 left. But they never created any breathing room, despite Robert Morris’ repeated empty trips, and they gave the Colonials a back-breaking second chance on their final possession.
“If we get one rebound, the outcome changes, but we didn’t, and the kid made a big-time shot,” LIU coach Jack Perri said.
After Jones’ basket, LIU’s Troy Joseph turned the ball over on the other end, Karvel Anderson sank two free throws for Robert Morris and Olasewere’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer came up short.
Perri considered using a timeout before Joseph was stripped driving to the basket, but opted to let point guard Jason Brickman create instead.
“Got the ball in Jason’s hands, they don’t have a chance to set up, let’s see what we can come up with,” Perri said. “I thought Troy should’ve passed the ball out. Let’s get the ball to our best player to make a play.”
Brickman led LIU with 19 points but managed just four assists, half of his season average, and Olasewere added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Anderson had 13 for Robert Morris while Russell Johnson notched 12 points.
LIU is at its best when Brickman is distributing, not scoring, and Perri felt Robert Morris intentionally played off the senior, daring him to score. The Blackbirds’ shooting, a key in the recent streak, betrayed them. They shot 43 percent from the field and made just 3-of-17 3-point attempts.
“If we don’t go 3-for-17 [from 3-point range], I’m sure he has 10 assists,” Perri said of Brickman.
And LIU likely has a seven-game winning streak.