The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team staged a 17-point comeback to snap Central Connecticut State's 12-game winning streak, 66-60, on Saturday evening. The Knights improve to 14-12 overall with a 9-6 record in conference play, while the Blue Devils, who clinched the regular season title and sit in first place in the Northeast Conference standings, fall to 17-11 overall and 14-2 in league action.
Cameron Tyler (Jamaica, NY/Notre Dame Prep) (Jamaica, NY) led the Knights with 21 points, while Michael Peeples (Detroit, MI/Benedictine) (Detroit, MI) recorded his third double-double of the year, notching 10 points and 11 rebounds. Andre Harris (Detroit, MI/Robichaud) (Detroit, MI) matched the longest streak of double-digit games in FDU history at 26 consecutive games with 16 points.
After Central Connecticut led by as many as 17 in the first half, the Knights out-scored the Blue Devils, 45-26, in the second half to stage the comeback victory.
The Blue Devils took a 7-0 lead on the strength of five points from Javier Mojica over the first four minutes of the game in a tight defensive battle.
CCSU stretched their advantage to 16-2 and the Knights crept back in the game, 18-8, off of treys from Peeples and Eric Hazard (Long Branch, NJ).
Obie Nwadike converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Blue Devils a 21-8 lead with just over eight minutes to play. Mojica hit one from behind the arc to give Central Conn. a 30-13 advantage, but Peeples and Harris came right back with back-to-back buckets in the paint.
The Knights shot 30 percent from the floor in the first half, 18 percent from long-range, and went 3-of-4 from the line. The Blue Devils shot 46 percent from the field and were a perfect 6-for-6 from the line.
Central Conn. had 12 points in the paint, while the Knights had only six, and 14 points off of turnovers, while FDU had only two.
The Knights got it down to a single-digit deficit, 40-31, as they out-scored CCSU 10-6 out of the intermission. The run was capped on a put-back from Jordan Ingram (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) (Philadelphia, PA).
Tyler drove in for a lay-up, getting fouled after the made basket. Peeples grabbed the rebound from the missed free throw and put it back in to make it a six-point game, 41-35.
Manny Ubilla (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) (Freehold, NJ) swished a three-pointer and Harris netted a jumper on the ensuing possession to bring FDU within three, 43-40.
With just under 10 minutes left to play, Ingram muscled in for a bucket in the paint and a long jumper from Harris made it only one-point, 45-44. The Knights took their first lead of the game on a dunk from Harris, 46-45.
Tyler connected on one from behind the arc and then two from the line and Ubilla put in both of his free throws to cap a 21-4 run by Fairleigh Dickinson to take possession of the lead, 53-47.
Fairleigh Dickinson used five straight points as Ubilla hit a long three and the Knights converted a turnover as Harris found Hazard under the basket for a lay-in for FDU's own double-digit lead, 58-47.
A lay-in by Peeples gave the Knights a 62-51 edge, but Central scored five-straight to make it a six-point game with 90 seconds left to play.
The Knights connected on four from the line in the final minute to make the final score 66-60.
In the second half, the Knights were able to convert 14 points off of turnovers while allowing Central Conn. only four. Central Connecticut's 12-game winning streak ranked fourth in the nation.
“We talked about defense yesterday and we had a really good practice, but we didn't put it in the first half and I just reminded them at halftime,” said Head Coach Tom Green. “We came out in the second half with intensity and played good solid basketball.”
“I think this win is a confidence builder,” said Green. “We still have three more tough games to go and I hope this puts us in a better spot in the Northeast Conference standings.”
“Our shot selection in the first half was not real good. We were down 13 at the half and I told the team that we've been in this position many times. I told them that the game was far from being over if we just improved our shot selection.”
After allowing the Blue Devils to shoot 46 percent in the first half, the Knights held them to 33 percent in the final 20 minutes and 1-of-13 from behind the arc.
Nwadike finished the game with 27 points and 17 rebounds and Mojica had 10 points in the first half. With the win, the Knights clinch a berth to the NEC Tournament for the fifth consecutive year.
The Knights are back in action when they host Sacred Heart on Feb. 20 at 7:00 p.m. The seniors will be honored in a ceremony prior to tip-off.
