Brooklyn, N.Y. - Sophomore Jamal Olasewere scored seven of his career-high 31 points in overtime to help lift No. 1 seed Long Island to an 85-82 overtime victory over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team Wednesday night in the championship game of the 2011 Northeast Conference Tournament.
The Colonials saw their eight-game winning streak and two-year reign as NEC Tournament champs snapped and finish with an overall record of 18-14 in 2010-11. The Blackbirds won their 13th straight to improve to 27-5 and claimed their first league tournament title since 1997 and third overall.
Down eight, 72-64, with just 2:29 to play in regulation, RMU closed the second half on a 10-2 run to send the game to the extra frame. Redshirt sophomore forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) scored five points, including a three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining to knot the game at 74.
LIU had a chance to win in it regulation, but C.J. Garner missed a jumper and Julian Boyd a layup after an offensive rebound, sending the game to overtime.
The Colonials struck first in the extra stanza when redshirt freshman guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, Va. / Christchurch School) converted a layup, and a jumper by redshirt sophomore guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) with 3:03 to go gave Robert Morris an 80-78 edge.
Olasewere tied it, 80-80, with a jumper, and his layup with 1:38 to play gave the Blackbirds the lead for good, 82-80.
Jason Brickman gave Long Island an 85-82 edge with seven seconds left after converting a pair at the free-throw line, but the Colonials had two cracks to tie it in the waning seconds, but Johnson missed both of his attempts from long range.
RMU held a 33-32 lead at halftime after shooting 43.3 percent (13-for-30) from the field in the first half as Johnson scored 11 points, including a 3-for-4 performance from long range.
In the second half Long Island used a 14-4 spurt to take their biggest advantage of the contest, 50-41, at the 14:05 mark. Brickman keyed the surge with a pair of three-pointers and scored eight points.
The Colonials responded with an 8-1 run, fueled by five points from sophomore forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner), to close to within 51-49, but Robert Morris could never grab the lead back. However, trailing by eight on five separate occasions in the final 10 minutes before the Colonials mounted a charge at the end to send the contest to overtime.
Johnson led Robert Morris with 22 points and also added eight rebounds, while Jones finished with 20 points, three assists and a steal. Both earned spots on the 2011 All-NEC Tournament Team.
Thompson added 15 points and nine caroms for the Colonials, while Williams finished with 12 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Olasewere was named the 2011 NEC Tournament MVP after converting 11 of his 19 shots from the floor and going 7-for-13 at the charity stripe for his 31 points. He also added 11 rebounds and four steals and posted double-doubles in each of the three tournament tilts.
Garner and Brickman each added 15 for the Blackbirds, while Kenny Onyechi scored 13 points.
