LIU Brooklyn 91, Mount Saint Mary’s 70: C.J. Garner scored a career-high 31 points as the Blackbirds won the Northeast Conference tournament for the third consecutive season, clinching an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Jamal Olasewere added 15 points and 10 rebounds as LIU Brooklyn (20-13) pulled away in the second half to capture the tournament title on its home court. The third-seeded Blackbirds became the first NEC team to win the championship three years in a row.

Sam Prescott scored 19 points to lead Mount Saint Mary’s (18-14).

Down eight points in the first half, the Blackbirds rallied to take a 35-31 halftime lead. LIU Brooklyn started the second half on an 11-2 run, and later used a 14-2 surge to take a 71-48 lead with 7:56 to play.

Garner finished 13-for-17 from the field as the Blackbirds shot 61.4 percent.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Mount Saint Mary’s missed an opportunity to become the first No. 5 seed to win the NEC tournament. … The Blackbirds lost to Michigan State 82-67 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season. … Mount Saint Mary’s finished 9-for-31 from 3-point range.