Wagner clinches NEC title with 78-74 win over LIU Brooklyn (Feb 17, 2018)

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NEW YORK (AP) JoJo Cooper scored 18 points with six assists, Nigel Jackson added 15 points, and Wagner beat LIU Brooklyn 78-74 on Saturday to clinch the Northeastern Conference regular season championship and win their 14th straight at home.

It's the Seahawks' (20-7, 13-3) second regular season title in the past three years, and third in program history.

Blake Francis scored 11 points and Romone Saunders 10 for Wagner, which led 38-36 at halftime behind Jackson's 11 points

Joel Hernandez's free throw gave LIU Brooklyn a 65-64 lead with 4:29 to go, but Jackson hit a go-ahead layup and the Seahawks led 69-65 on Blake Francis' jumper with 2:03 left. The Blackbirds closed to 76-74 on Raiquan Clark's layup with five seconds left, but Francis hit two free throws for the win.

Julian Batts scored 21 points with four 3s, Clark had 19 points and Hernandez 12 for the Blackbirds (13-16, 8-8), who have lost three straight.