Sport Basketball Trophy Lai-Lynch MVP Trophy | Next meeting TBD Meetings total 41 | |
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First meeting February 25, 1976St. Francis 83, Long Island 79 Latest meeting January 23, 2016St. Francis 64, Long Island 49 | ||
The Battle of Brooklyn rivalry is the rivalry between the Long Island University Blackbirds and St. Francis College Terriers. The Battle of Brooklyn is a fierce rivalry, particularly in men's college basketball, between the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers athletic teams. The intensity of the rivalry is augmented by the proximity of the two universities, located only one mile apart in Downtown Brooklyn. The name of the rivalry is in reference to the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Brooklyn.
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Men's basketball
The Battle of Brooklyn started as an annual basketball game played between the basketball programs of Long Island University Brooklyn and St. Francis College. The rivalry between the Terriers and the Blackbirds dates back to the 1928 season, when they first played one another, but the tradition of an annual game between the two programs began in the 1975–76 season predating when both teams joined the Northeast Conference in the 1981. At the conclusion of each game an MVP is announced and the winning team receives the Lai-Lynch Trophy, which honors William Lai and Daniel Lynch, the former Athletic Directors of Long Island and St. Francis, respectively.
Both the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers and the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds compete in the Division I Northeast Conference. Although the two schools regularly play twice each regular season, only one of the games, usually the last, is officially designated as a Battle of Brooklyn game. The host of the designated Battle of Brooklyn alternates annually and is held at campus sites. The Blackbirds host their games at the Steinberg Wellness Center and the Terriers host their home contests at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex. The 39th installment of the Battle of Brooklyn was held at the Barclays Center, the largest venue so far for the annual contest, with LIU Brooklyn as the hosts. The Blackbirds lead the overall series 63–41 and the Battle of Brooklyn series 23–18.
Notable games
Men's game results
Long Island victories shaded ██ black. St. Francis victories are shaded ██ red.
Women's basketball
During the 1993–94 season the women's basketball programs of St. Francis College and Long Island University contested their first official Battle of Brooklyn. Since February 21, 1975 when the two teams first met, LIU leads the overall series 48–24 and the Battle of Brooklyn series 13–10.
Women's game results
Long Island victories shaded ██ black. St. Francis victories are shaded ██ red.
Men's soccer
Starting in 2013, the men's soccer programs for LIU and St. Francis College formalized their rivalry by naming their annual match a Battle of Brooklyn and awarding a trophy. The trophy is called the Ramirez-Tramontozzi trophy and recognizes former men's soccer coaches Arnie Ramirez and Carlos Tramontozzi, from LIU and St. Francis respectively. Both coaches were life-long friends and greatly influenced their respective programs. St. Francis Brooklyn captured the inaugural trophy on LIU's field on November 10, 2013, behind a 4–0 performance. Since the 1970 season, when the two programs first met LIU leads the overall series 22–20–3.
Men's game results
Long Island victories shaded ██ black. St. Francis victories are shaded ██ red.