By ADAM ZAGORIA
One year after getting fired by UMass, Derek Kellogg has coached LIU-Brooklyn into the NCAA Tournament.
Behind 32 points and 7 rebounds from senior guard Joel Hernandez, the No. 4-seeded Blackbirds handed No. 1 Wagner their first home loss of the season, 71-61, in the Northeast Conference championship game at Wagner.
Hernandez, a Teaneck, N.J., native, entered averaging 20.2 points and ended up with tournament MVP honors. Raiquan Clark added 20 points and 8 rebounds.
LIU-Brooklyn (18-16) won its sixth NEC title and will return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2013 when former coach Jack Perri led them there. The Blackbirds were picked sixth in the preseason.
.@LIUBasketball is going Dancing pic.twitter.com/9c5ak5hfaX
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 7, 2018
Led by coach Bashir Mason, Wagner (23-9) is still seeking its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2003.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi said on air he expects LIU-Brooklyn to be a No. 16 seed and “almost certainly in the opening round in Dayton.”
Wagner sophomore guard Blake Mason, who entered averaging 17.4 points, shot 3-for-17 for 8 points. Romone Saunders paced Wagner with 17 points, Devin Liggeons had 14 and JoJo Cooper scored 11.
Wagner shot 6-for-31 from beyond the arc.
LIU-Brooklyn became the second New York team make the NCAA Tournament after Iona beat Fairfield to win the MAAC championship on Monday night in Albany.
You knew it. Tourney MVP pic.twitter.com/OWsubLYbxT
— LIU Basketball (@LIUBasketball) March 7, 2018
Photo: NY Post
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