In a game that saw six ties and eight lead changes, the Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team (8-8, 3-2 NEC) fell to host Central Conn. (8-10, 5-1 NEC), 60-56, in a tight game in Detrick Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
The Knights tied up the game, 8-8, as Cameron Tyler fed Andre Harris (Detroit, MI/Robichaud) the ball at the top of the arc for a trey six minutes into the first half. The Blue Devils built a 13-8 lead, but Jordan Ingram (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) scored six-straight points to give FDU a 14-13 edge.
With the score tied at 17-17, Central Connecticut went on a 10-2 run, on the strength of eight points coming from Jemino Sobers.
Fairleigh Dickinson came back to get within six points, 27-21, as Manny Ubilla (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) sent a brilliant pass down the lane to Harris, who was alone under the basket. On the other end of the court, Joe Seymore responded with a three from the corner to make it a nine-point game.
Michael Peeples (Detroit, MI/Benedictine) leapt up to grab an offensive rebound and put it back to make it a five-point game, 30-25, with less than a minute remaining in the half. Harris blocked a shot on the defensive end and netted a jumper on the other side of the court to make it 30-27 entering the half.
The Knights scored the last six points of the half, and Harris entered the break with 11 points. Sobers had 12 points and nine rebounds in the first 20 minutes for the Blue Devils while CCSU out-rebounded FDU 21-12 in the first frame.
Peeples scored the first four points of the second half for the Knights' and a three from Tyler with 16:28 remaining in regulation tied the game up, 34-34.
The Knights reclaimed the lead when Peeples swished a three, 39-38; Peeples had nine points in the first eight minutes of the second half.
A three from Seymore gave Central Conn. a 45-41 lead with 11:21 left to play. Tyler set Peeples up for a huge dunk to swing the momentum and bring the Knights within two, 45-43.
The Knights forced the Blue Devils to cough up the ball and Ubilla sank a jumper from the paint to knot the score at 47-47 with just over eight minutes left to play.
Ubilla connected on one from long-range and Tyler followed it up with a driving lay-up for a 52-49 lead. The Knights were held scoreless from the field for a stretch of almost six minutes until 11 seconds were left on the clock to end the game.
With the score tied at 54-54, a foul put Obie Nwadike on the line and he connected on both free throws for the two-point advantage. Javier Mojica netted a pair of free throws to make it 58-54, but a Tyler bucket brought the Knights within two with 11 seconds left to play. Sobers dunked the final shot of the game to seal a 60-56 win for the Blue Devils.
Peeples led the Knights with 16 points- he was one of three Knights in double-digits. Harris, Tyler and Ubilla each pitched in 11 points. Harris led the Knights on the boards with eight rebounds and swatted a game-high four blocks. The Knights were out-rebounded 36-26.
Sobers went 10-for-16 from the field to notch a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Blue Devils. Seymore chipped in 12 points and Mojica had 15 points and eight rebounds.
"This was just another game that came down to the last few minutes," said Head Coach Tom Green. "This was a carbon copy of our game versus Robert Morris-- one team executed down the stretch and one team didn't. We need to execute our offense a lot better in the last two minutes of the game. We knew it was going to be a tough game coming in and it's just unfortunate that we put forth such a good effort for only 38 minutes."
The Knights are back in action on Saturday, January 20th at Long Island at 4:00 p.m.
