The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team fell to host Drexel, 80-58, on Tuesday evening. The Knights fall to 3-3, while the Dragons improve to 5-2.
Andre Harris (Detroit, MI/Robichaud) was high-scorer for the Knights for the sixth time in as many games, scoring 22 points, while Michael Peeples (Detroit, MI/Benedictine) chipped in 11. Both Harris and Peeples had five rebounds.
The Knights built a 9-4 lead to start the game after Harris scored in the paint and Peeples followed it up with a three from the corner. The Knights were able to shut down three of DU's starters, as Drexel's first 12 points were from two players, Scott Rodgers and Frank Elegar.
The Knights increased their lead to 20-16 after Bernell Murray connected on a long three, but the Dragons were able to take the lead on back-to-back there-pointers from Dominick Mejia.
Harris netted two from the line to knot the score, but Drexel pulled ahead, 24-22, on Randy Oveneke's free throws, which began a 16-6 run to bring the deficit into double-digits. Harris was able to spark the Knights, ending a four minute field goal drought with a lay-in at the 4:51 mark of the first half.
Although the Knights gained momentum with Brian Lytle (Union, NJ/St. Marks)'s pair of free throws followed by a steal from Harris, the Knights went into the half down eight, 41-33.
In the second half, Harris started the offense with a three point play. FDU closed the gap on the strength of a 7-1 run over two minutes and the Knights were able shrink it down to a six point game,46-40, on Peeples' two free throws. But a steal and eight straight from Elegar made it 54-40 in favor of the Dragons.
Fairleigh Dickinson scored five unanswered points, as Manny Ubilla (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) connected on three from the line and Lytle swished a jumper, to make it 58-47 with just over nine minutes remaining. But that would be as close as the Knights would get as Drexel pulled away to make the final 80-58.
Elegar matched his career-high 23 points for the Dragons, shooting 10-of-17 from the floor. Rodgers posted 16 points and Chaz Crawford grabbed 13 rebounds.
After entering the half tied on the boards, 17-17, the Dragons finished the game with an edge, out-rebounding the Knights 42-32. Drexel had 46 points in the paint and 26 points off of turnovers. FDU shot 46 percent in the first half, but only 30 percent in the second half. Ubilla chipped in eight points, two blocks and five rebounds.
"They were a little bit too big for us," said Head Coach Tom Green. "Frank Elegar had himself a great game and we allowed him too many oportunities to shoot down low."
Harris tied his career-high of 10 field goals while registering his third 20+ point game of the season in only six games. "Andre has transformed from one of the best sixth-men in the NEC to our go-to-guy this year; he has a good mid-range game and he showed it off tonight."
The Dragons now take the series lead with the Knights, 6-5, in the 11 meetings all-time between the two teams.
The Knights are back in action on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 4:00 p.m. in Hamden, CT when they open their conference season at Quinnipiac. The game will be webcast on www.fdu.fm and on the radio at WFDU 89.1. The Knights are ahead 14-5 in the all-time series against QU and went 2-1 against the Bobcats last year, including a win in the NEC Quarterfinals.
