Brooklyn, N.Y. - Jermaine Jackson Jr.'s fifth three-pointer of the night put the LIU Sharks (10-10, 5-2) ahead with 3.5 seconds to play as the Red Flash (12-7, 5-3 NEC) couldn't pull off a comeback, road victory on Thursday night in an 86-81 loss.

Krimmel's Reaction

"We got away from playing Saint Francis basketball from the 10-minute mark of the first half to the 15-minute mark of the second half," said head coach Rob Krimmel. "I thought we played well for the other 25 minutes, but that 15 minute segment was too much to overcome."

Turning Point 

Saint Francis led 30-18 after a made layup by redshirt sophomore Tyler Stewart (Silver Spring, Md./St. Andrew's Episcopal) with 9:14 to play in the first half, but was held without a field goal for the remainder of the half until junior Ramiir Dixon-Conover (Newark, N.J./South Kent) beat the halftime horn with a coast-to-coast layup. The Sharks still managed to close the half on a 17-3 run to leads 35-33 at the break.

LIU scored on six of its first seven possesions of the second half and led by as many as 13, 60-47, with 11:47 remaining. Redshirt senior Isaiah Blackmon (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) put the Red Flash on his back the rest of the way, scoring 17 of his team-high 26 points in the second half as SFU closed the gap.

A Blackmon three with 3:02 to play brought Saint Francis within two at 73-71. LIU regained a brief five-point lead, connecting on one of its 13 threes, but Saint Francis answered with two free throws from senior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea) and a layup by sophomore Myles Thompson (Camden, N.J./Camden) to cut the deficit to one. Blackmon eventually tied the game on a baseline runner with 48 seconds left, but Saint Francis fouled Raiquan Clark while shooting a three on the next possession. Clark made two of three and the score was evened again with 24 seconds left on two Stewart free throws. That's when Jackson took the clock down and hit a dagger three. SFU's inbounds heave was intervepted and the Sharks added two free throws to close it out.

Inside the Box Score

• Saint Francis made 18-33 (54.5%) second half shots to finish the game 31-67 (46.3%) from the field. LIU made 29-64 (45.3%) from the floor.
• The Sharks lived up to its reputation, shooting 34 three-pointers and making 13 (38.2%). Saint Francis hit 6-17 (35.3%) from behind the arc.
• LIU made 15-22 (68.2%) of its free throws to SFU's 13-16 (81.3%).
• The Red Flash outrebounded the Sharks 41-37.
• Points in the paint tilted towards SFU, 40-24.
• Bench points were 27-0 in SFU's favor.

Notes

• Braxton finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists to pass Jeff Hamilton for third in program history in career scoring.
• Blackmon recorded his 7th 20-point game of the season and the 18th of his career, passing Mike Iuzzolino for 17th on the school's all-time scoring list. 
• Stewart missed out on his first career double-double by one rebound, finishing with 16 points and nine boards.
• Dixon-Conover tied his career-high with 10 points, while adding four assists.
• SFU was dealt just its second loss of the season when scoring 70 or more points.
• SFU is currently on its first two-game losing streak since starting the year 0-2 after losses at VCU and Richmond.

Up Next

SFU wraps up a stretch of seven games in 17 days with a game at St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 4 p.m.