March 5, 2006

Box Score

HACKENSACK, NJ - Led by junior center Andrea Crosariol (Abano T., Italy) and senior guard Chad Timberlake (Brooklyn, NY) the top-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team defeated #5 Robert Morris, 71-55, in an NEC semifinal game at the Rothman Center on Sunday afternoon. The victory advances the Knights to Wednesday night's conference championship game versus Monmouth University.

Crosariol and Timberlake each registered double-doubles as Timberlake recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds and Crosariol added 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead all scorers. Crosariol shot 6-of-10 from the field and had a game-high six blocks. Senior forward Gordon Klaiber (Greenbelt, MD) and junior forward Michael Peeples (Detroit, MI) each had 14 points.

The Knights charged out on fire to start the game, holding the lead for the first 27 minutes and 32 seconds of the game and showing off with a 17-3 run as they held the Colonials to one field goal in the first seven minutes. The run was powered by Crosariol (7 points) and Peeples (5 points).

The Knights extended their lead, 24-8, capped by seven-straight points, with Timberlake providing five of the seven. Sophomore guard Bernell Murray (Stillwater, OK) found Timberlake in the corner for a three and Crosariol worked down low to put in the next two.

The Colonials cut it down to four, 28-24, on a 16-4 run that finished on a three-pointer from Jeremy Chappell with 4:21 remaining in the half.

Murray drained a three-pointer with 11 seconds on the clock to give the Knights an eight-point lead, but with three seconds to go, A.J. Jackson connected on three to send the Knights into the locker room with a five-point lead, 34-29.

Crosariol and Timberlake each had 11 points and six rebounds in the first half to lead the Knights.

The Knights took an eight-point lead to start the second stanza, but an ensuing 12-0 run by the Colonials gave the visitors a 49-45 edge. The run began as a result of a Derek Coleman steal that Tony Lee dished out to Colson Senat for a layup to put the Colonials down only one, 45-44. On the next possession, Senat stole the ball, which Chappell converted on a layup, 45-44, to give the Colonials their first lead of the game. A three-pointer from Chappell with 11:48 on the clock capped RMU's 12-0 run.

But the Knights responded well, going on a 12-0 run of their own. FDU was sparked by switching into a full court pressure defense to change the pace of the game, as well as solid free throw shooting, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the line in the second half.

Timberlake netted a pair of free throws to cut the Colonials' lead to 49-47 and Peeples followed suit, netting both of his free throws to tie up the game 49-49. The run was capped with Murray's fast break feed to Peeples for an emphatic dunk that charged the crowd and was followed by Crosariol converting a three-point play to make it 61-49 with five minutes to play.

A trey from Cori Boston chipped the Knights' lead back to single-digits, 61-52, but the Knights scored the next 10 points, including four each from Timberlake and Klaiber.

Fairleigh Dickinson out-rebounded the Colonials, 41-33. Robert Morris was led by Chappell, who had 14 points and Jackson's 12 points and eight rebounds.

The win tonight gives the Knights their 20th win of 2005-06 as they improve to 20-10. This is their eighth 20-win season and seventh under Head Coach Tom Green. It also marks the program's second consecutive 20-win season as they finished last year's campaign with a 20-13 record en route to the NCAA Tournament. The Colonials finish the season 15-14.

Fairleigh Dickinson will host Monmouth in the NEC Championship game on Wednesday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 and webcast on www.wfdu.fm.