March 1, 2003

Final Stats

BROOKLYN, NY - Junior guard Omar Wellington scored 16 points to lead five players in double figures to lead Sacred Heart University to a 78-73 win over Long Island University in a Northeast Conference men's basketball game Saturday. The victory was the 400th career triumph for Sacred Heart head coach Dave Bike in his 25th season. With the retirement of Jim Phelan at Mount St. Mary's after his final game today, Bike becomes the winningest coach in the Northeast Conference.

After leading from the opening tap, the Pioneers found themselves down 37-36 with 1:39 left in the half after a JaJa Bey free throw. Junior Maurice Bailey answered with a layup to put SHU back up and Chris Assel drained a three on the next possession to give the Pioneers a 41-37 lead at the break.

LIU, 9-18 overall and 7-11 in the conference, made another run at the Pioneers at the start of the second half. A Bey three-pointer with 16:55 to play put the Blackbirds back on top at 44-43. Again the Pioneers responded, using a Zach Spivey jumper to claim the lead back on the next possession. After an LIU turnover and a steal by Bailey, Tre Samuels made a fastbreak layup to put the Pioneers back up by three.

Sacred Heart, which finishes the season 8-21 overall and 6-12 in the NEC, began to pull away and took its largest lead of the game at 65-52 with 8:11 to play on a layup by Chris Assel. LIU then went on a 9-0 run capped by a jumper by Bey to make it 65-61, but again the Pioneers answered. A 7-2 run finished off with a a Wellington three put the Pioneers up 72-63 and they coasted home from there.

Bailey would finish with 13 points and seven assists for the Pioneers, while Spivey also collected 13 and led Sacred Heart with six rebounds. Junior Justin James also finished in double figures with ten points, as did Assel.

Bey led all scorers for LIU with 26 points. Senior guard Antawn Dobie, who leads the Blackbirds in scoring, was frustrated all games. He holds the NEC record for points in a game when he poured in 53 earlier this season against St. Francis. He was held to 15 by the Pioneers and shot just four of 13, while turning the ball over seven times.

Attendance: 435 Records: SHU 8-21, 6-12; LIU 9-18, 7-11