Feb. 16, 2006

Box Score

FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior Chad Timberlake had 27 points to help the Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team edge host Sacred Heart, 85-76, on Thursday evening in Fairfield, CT, extending the Knights' winning streak to 10 games. The Knights improve to 16-8 overall with a 13-2 mark in conference play en route to the longest winning streak since the 1987-88 season, while the Pioneers fall to 7-8 in the NEC and 10-14 overall.

Timberlake was 8-of-9 from the floor, including a near flawless 3-of-4 from behind the arc, and 8-of-12 from the free throw line with a team-high five assists. Senior Gordon Klaiber chipped in 17 points, 13 of which came in the second half. Junior Andre Harris added 12 points off the bench.

The Knights fell behind 9-4 three minutes into the game. Timberlake, who entered the break with 12 points, acted as a spark, scoring the Knights' first six points. FDU then took charge of the game, using back-to-back possessions in which steals were converted into fast breaks as junior Michael Peeples and then Klaiber were able to each drop in two and cut the Pioneers' lead to 13-10.

In a two-on-one fast break down the floor, Timberlake found Peeples for a momentum-changing dunk to take the lead, 14-13. Over the next four minutes, the Knights and Pioneers traded baskets, through three ties.

Murray connected on a three-pointer and then grabbed a steal on the other end of the floor and dished it to Timberlake, who drained a baseline trey on a Knights run to pull ahead, 29-21.

Sacred Heart responded with a 9-2 run to close out the half, but the Knights entered the break ahead, 31-29. The Knights are now 14-1 this season when leading at the half and a perfect 15-0 when holding the advantage with five minutes remaining.

The Knights were able to spark an 11-4 run, capped by a Klaiber three, to start the second half, taking a 42-36 lead, but the Pioneers scored the next six points to knot the game at 42-42.

Kibwe Trim scored 11 of the Pioneers' 14 points over a stretch of four and a half minutes to give Sacred Heart a four point lead, 52-48 with 12:30 left to play, but Timberlake scored the Knights' next seven points to give them a six-point lead, 57-51.

Harris, who had 12 of the Knights' 22 bench points to give the Knights the spark they needed off the bench in the second half to change the pace of the game, drained a turnaround jumper to take the lead for the Knights, 63-62. FDU out-scored the Pioneers 11-2 over the next four minutes for a nine-point cushion with four minutes left to play.

The Knights took their biggest lead of the game, 78-67, when freshman Cameron Tyler converted a three-point play.

With 1:28 on the clock, Klaiber grabbed a big rebound off a missed three-point attempt and was fouled, sinking both free throws to give FDU a nine-point advantage and seal the game.

Trim converted an old-fashioned three-point play on the next possession, but the Pioneers missed four free throws in the final minute, while the Knights connected on five of six from the charity stripe in the final minutes.

"This was definitely a good win for us," said Head Coach Tom Green. "I never dreamed back in January that we would go on a 10-game win streak. Chad continues to play well and Gordon really came alive in the second half for us. We aren't playing good defense for 40 minutes, but it seems that when we have to, we play well defensively."

The Knights held a slight edge on the boards, out-rebounding Sacred Heart 30-27, and connected on eight three pointers, while holding Sacred Heart to only two. FDU finished the game shooting 51 percent and SHU shot 57 percent.

Trim finished the game with a team-leading 31 points and eight rebounds, going 11-for-15 from the floor. Jarrid Frye had 21 points and Tavio Hobson chipped in 12.

The Knights are back in action on Saturday, February 18 at 8:05 p.m. when they travel to Wisconsin to face the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay Phoenix in an ESPN Bracket Buster game.