Ask Jim Ferry why his LIU team was able to beat Wagner in Brooklyn and not on Staten Island, and he says, "We shot great at home."

Ask Wagner coach Mike Deane about the same thing, and he says, "They had 40 free throws to one."

But regardless of who does the talking, LIU and Wagner played a couple of memorable games during the regular season.

That's what makes the 7-2 matchup that has the Blackbirds going over to Staten Island for the first round of the NEC tournament so interesting.

"A team that manhandled us on their court and we beat them by three at home," Deane said.

The Blackbirds, who didn't make the NEC tournament last year, got there this time around with a 15-14 record, 7-11 in the conference. They ended the season with a three-point home loss to top-seeded Robert Morris.

Obviously, as the seventh seed, the only way the Blackbirds could play a home game in this tournament is if both they and No. 8 Monmouth make it to the final. But LIU came into the tournament with three wins in its last four road games.

"We've been a different team on the road, but we've lost a lot of close games," Ferry said.

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