Blackbirds Three-Peat! 91-70 Win Over Mount St. Mary’s Gives LIU Brooklyn 3rd Straight NEC Basketball Title

In the end, it was the player wearing number 3 who clinched the Blackbirds’ historic three-peat.

Last night in front of a euphoric home crowd, senior guard C.J. Garner propelled the LIU men’s basketball team to an unprecedented third straight Northeast Conference (NEC) championship. With a series of shakes, slashes and swoops, Garner relentlessly attacked the Mount St. Mary’s defense, scoring a game and career high 31 points while sparking LIU to a decisive 91-70 win over the Mount.

In the final home game of a distinguished LIU career in which he scored more than 1,200 points and was a key contributor to all three NEC titles, Garner was named tournament MVP. It was a fitting last performance in Brooklyn for the 5-10 senior point guard who throughout his career has been an offensive and defensive catalyst for LIU Brooklyn.

Garner—averaging almost 26 points per game during LIU’s current five game winning streak—has driven his team during its latest sprint to a conference crown. The Blackbirds—winners of 15 of their last 18 games—now have nine straight wins in NEC tournament play, setting yet another Northeast Conference record.

And to think that this team played for most of their season without their best player. Julian Boyd, the 2012 NEC Player of the Year, went down with a season-ending injury after just eight games.

Responding to Boyd absence, Garner, Olasewere—who followed Boyd by capturing 2013 NEC Player of the Year honors—standout freshman E.J. Reed and LIU’s unparalleled junior point guard, Jason Brickman, proved that the Blackbirds had more than enough talent to win the NEC again.

Besides Garner and Olasewere, three other seniors from the class of 2013 played roles in LIU’s three-peat: Booker Hucks, Kenny Onyechi and Brandon Thompson. LIU Coach Jack Perri believes this “fab five” is the greatest class in LIU long and celebrated basketball history. “Why wouldn’t they be considered the best ever if they’ve done what nobody else ever has?”

To be considered the greatest, the Blackbirds need to pass one more test by stopping a red-hot Mount St. Mary’s squad. Winners of nine straight, the Mount already had two 2013 NEC tournament road wins, including a stunning upset of top seed Robert Morris in the semifinals.

Coming into the WRAC as the tournament’s fifth seeded but playing like the NEC’s best, Mount St. Mary’s also had a history-making opportunity; a win on the Blackbirds’ court would make the Mount the only team to capture a NEC title by winning three straight on the road.

In the game’s first 13 minutes it appeared that history would favor the visitors.

Hitting 8 of their first 11 shots, including 4 of 5 three-point attempts, Mount St. Mary’s jumped out to a 20-12 lead. Quickly calling a timeout, Coach Perri decided to switch his defensive alignment. “We changed up to a 2-3 zone and extended it to take away those three-point shots,” explained Perri.

This defensive switch yielded LIU immediate benefits. The Mount suddenly couldn’t buy a bucket and the Blackbirds went on an 11-2 run to take their first lead of the game. After their quick start, Mount St. Mary’s slumped to 39% shooting for the game including 29% from beyond the three-point arc.

Olasewere sat out the last nine minutes of the half with foul trouble, but Garner’s 14 points led LIU to a 35-31 halftime lead. “He (Garner) was remarkable,” said Coach Perri. “He was not going to allow anything to get in his way of winning a third championship.”

Mount St. Mary’s had already taken its best shot, but LIU’s best was yet to come. After intermission, the Blackbirds sprinted out to a 24-point lead as Garner, Olasewere, Reed and sophomore Gerrell Martin dominated their hapless guests. Garner’s 17 points keyed a 56 point half as the Blackbirds—the nation’s fifth highest scoring team—exceed the 90 point total for a fourth straight game. 

With their outburst LIU ended Mount St. Mary’s Cinderella-like run and cemented LIU Brooklyn’s identity as one of the greatest basketball squad in the NEC’s 32-year history.

After a week of frenetic conference play, the Blackbirds and their fans can exhale and appreciate the team’s historic accomplishments while waiting for March Madness Selection Sunday—St. Patrick’s Day—to find out which top-ranked opponent is lurking in the N.C.A.A. tournament.

For Perri, in spite of this season’s challenges, the results couldn’t be better. “Being the leader of the group and having dealt with all that we’ve dealt with this is definitely the sweetest (title win) ever.”

“Look at this season,” opined Bose Olasewere, Jamal’s mother and on Tuesday the loudest fan in the WRAC. “The suspensions; the best player, Julian, going down; starting 0-3 in the conference. But we came back. And we three-peat in the NEC and make history.” Bose paused to catch her breath. “It’s never been done before. What can I say? This is the best!”

“It’s exciting watching these young guys play,” deadpanned C.J.’s father, Carl Garner, Sr. “I wish it could last a little bit longer.”

When N.C.A.A. seeding is announced it’s likely LIU will be given a 15 or 16 seed and considered first-round fodder for a big name Division 1 basketball program. But beware Duke, Indiana, Florida or any other top tier school: After the year they’ve had, there’s no reason to count the Blackbirds out of anything.