They’re not fin-ished.
Anticlimactics be damned, the Sharks of Long Island University put on a show in one of the strangest conference championships, having already clinched an automatic spot in March Madness before winning the NEC championship game over Mercyhurst 79-70 Tuesday night in Brooklyn.
The Erie, PA school is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to its 2024 jump from Division II to Division I, and must wait until 2027-28 for a chance to dance.
LIU de facto clinched the Northeast Conference bid after beating fellow city rival Wagner 64-56 in semifinal play Saturday night before making it clear that it is the NEC’s top team. It’s LIU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.
Getting in the right way and asterisk-free for the tournament’s No. 1 seed — and taking a back-and-forth barnburner in front of a packed crowd at home — meant everything to the Sharks faithful that rushed their court in elation at the buzzer.
The thrilling, high-scoring affair for pride came down to the last three and a half minutes, when LIU pulled ahead 68-63 and pushed the lead to an insurmountable 72-65 with 1:41 to go with two free throws.
The Sharks, whose floor-shaking fans have gone viral across college basketball for doing their “fins up” clap from “The Reef” spirit section when LIU shoots free throws, hit 15 of 28 from the line.
Senior guards Greg Gordon and Malachi Davis stood out with 24 points apiece.
Graduate student Jamal Fuller posted a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds against the No. 3 Lakers.
Now the Sharks are facing uncharted waters, as their bracket seeding and opponent remain a mystery until Selection Sunday.