Men's Basketball Falls, 73-58, at Central Connecticut St.

(boxscore)

1/22/05 -- Sophomore James Williams (DeSoto, Texas) scored 13 points and freshman Kellen Allen (Mansfield, Texas) added 12 for Long Island in a 73-58 Northeast Conference setback at Central Connecticut State in New Britain, Conn.

The Blackbirds (6-10, 3-4 NEC) opened an 8-5 lead on Allen's layup before the Blue Devils used a 23-11 run to gain a 28-19 cushion. Lenny Jefferson's 3-pointer capped the spurt.

CCSU (7-9, 3-4) twice grabbed a 10-point lead early in the second half. Jason Hickenbottom's layup with 14:24 remaining opened a 49-45 lead.

LIU refused to go away, using an 8-2 run to close to 49-45 with 12:31 to go. Senior Derek Bell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) hit a pair of layups in that stretch.

However, Obie Nwadike made a layup to give the Blue Devils a 54-45 lead. CCSU iced the contest by hitting 5-of-6 from the line over the final 1:48.

Allen shot 5-of-6 from the field for the Blackbirds, who hit for 45 percent (22-of-49). Williams dished four assists.

The Blackbirds shot 52 percent (12-of-23) from the floor in the opening half, but found themselves down 36-30 as the Blue Devils hit 45 percent (14-of-31).

Nwadike scored 19 points and Javier Mojica added 16 for CCSU, which got 22 points from its bench and 23 off turnovers.

LIU will be home Monday to face Mount St. Mary's, beginning at 7:00 pm.