The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team fell, 69-63, versus home-standing Northern Arizona University in the LaQuinta Inn Thanksgiving Tournament, Friday, Nov. 23 at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, AZ. The Knights slipped to 1-3 overall, despite a career-high 24 points from senior forward Jennifer Walkling (Westminster, MD/Westminster) (Westminster, MD).
Senior center Mercedez Walker (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) (Stratford, CT) finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Freshman guard Jasmyra Saunders (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Catholic) (Trenton, NJ) matched her career-high of 10 points, in addition to pilfering four passes. Junior guard Nasim Ahmadzadeh (Uppsala, Sweden/Lofstromsgymnasium) (Uppsala, Sweden) added seven assists in her first Division I start.
The Lumberjacks (3-3) opened the contest on a 9-2 run, with guard Sade Cunningham (Lynwood, CA) tallying five-consecutive points. FDU responded with four-straight, as Walker knocked down a long jumper on the right baseline at the 16:40 mark.
NAU rattled off three hoops, before Walkling ? who also hauled down a team-leading eight boards ? notched a bucket in the paint. Senior guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) (Laurelton, NY) snatched a pass and bounced an outlet to streaking freshman guard Alyssa Mayrose (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) (Freehold, NJ), creating a 19-12 contest with 12:05 remaining. Freeman notched seven rebounds, with Mayrose contributing five rips.
Saunders sparked a 10-4 run, penetrating the paint for a left-handed deuce then picking a guard's pocket at half court, resulting in a lay-in. Walkling punctuated the push with a pair of field goals, closing the deficit to 26-22 at the 4:18 mark.
Sophomore forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) (Bayonne, NJ) and Walkling went to work on the block, exchanging inside baskets, followed by a backdoor lay-up by Ahmadzadeh with 22 seconds left.
The Knights ? who trailed by nine at one point in the initial 20 minutes ? hit the break down, 31-30. FDU's defense held Northern Arizona two a pair of field goals during the final 11:33 of the first-half. Walkling paced Fairleigh Dickinson with 14 points, while Cunningham countered with 11. NAU center Ashley Ingle (McRae, AR) hauled down 11 boards, as the Lumberjacks held a 29-13 advantage on the glass.
Northern Arizona opened the second stanza with a 14-3 surge, with Cunningham dropping in six and senior forward Laura Dinkins (Rialto, CA) adding four. The run continued, before Mayrose notched a put-back with 5:35 left in the contest, bringing things to 59-45, NAU.
Saunders kick-started a 14-2 push, feeding Walkling with a no-look pass in the post, then adding another steal and finish. Saunders continued the defensive pressure, registering two additional swipes and lay-ins, cutting the deficit to 61-54 at the 2:23 mark. Walker spotted up for her first three-ball of the season, before Freeman tallied a catch-and-shoot baseline jumper, creating a one-possession game with just under a minute.
“We had two very good stretches defensively, limiting Northern Arizona to a pair of field goals,” Head Coach Peter Cinella said. “Offensively, we ran some sets well and had a chance to take the lead early in the second-half, but NAU hit some big shots. We didn't give in down 17 and managed to cut the game to five points with possession under the basket and just over a minute remaining.”
The Lumberjacks ? who never trailed ? sealed the victory by hitting 6-of-7 chances at the charity stripe; however, failed to knock down a shot from the floor over the final 10:45. Ingle tallied a game-high 18 boards, in addition to her 14 points, as NAU dominated the boards, 52-35.
Cunningham finished with 20 points, six assists and five rebounds for Northern Arizona, with Dinkins chipping-in a double-double of 15 points and 12 rips.
The Knights out-scored NAU in the paint, 40-24.
Fairleigh Dickinson takes on the University of Vermont at 2:05 p.m. MST (4:05 EST), Saturday, Nov. 24 in the consolation game of the LaQuinta Inn Thanksgiving Tournament.
