The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team fell, 73-47, on the campus of Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ, Wednesday, Feb. 21. Junior guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) (Laurelton, NY) registered 10 of the Knights' (9-17, 6-10 Northeast Conference) first 12 points, en route to a team-high 15 points.
Hawks (17-10, 10-6 NEC) guard Marisa Jimenez (Carteret, NJ) poured in a game-high 19 points ? 15 coming in the final 20 minutes.
Junior forward Jennifer Walkling (Westminster, MD/Westminster) (Westminster, MD) tied the game, 4-4, working a give-and-go in the paint with senior forward Mercedez Walker (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) (Stratford, CT) at the 16:14 mark. Freeman ended a 6-0 Monmouth run with a pair of foul shots, creating a 10-6 contest.
Freeman snatched a loose ball, dribbled baseline and popped a pull-up from 12 feet ? marking her sixth point in a string of eight-consecutive points ? as the Knights chipped-away to a 13-12 deficit.
Junior guard Megan Kirkland (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) (Glen Allen, VA) ended a 12-0 push by the Hawks with a trey from the left wing with 6:26 remaining. Freeman lobbed a pass into Walkling on the left block for a lay-in and FDU trailed, 29-19.
The Knights were behind 39-25 at halftime, paced by Freeman's 10 points and four boards. Nine Hawks scored in the first-half, as the squad shot 59 percent from the field, led by eight points by LaKia Barber (Clinton, MD).
Monmouth opened the second stanza on an 11-2 run, despite a runner in the lane by junior forward Nikki Lockhart (Rochester, NY/Nazareth Academy) (Rochester, NY). Freeman converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 15:16 left and FDU trailed, 50-30.
Freshman guard Jordan Sykes (Avalon, NJ/Holy Spirit) (Avalon, NJ) ? who recorded 11 points ? sparked a 6-0 push with a hoop-and-the-foul at the 11:56 mark. Kirkland made it 55-39, draining an attempt from behind the arc with 8:36 remaining.
“We struggled from the field tonight,” Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. “Monmouth is a good team. We'll take a day off, rest, and come back ready to work.”
Barber finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Knights travel to Wagner College at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24.
