In their regular-season home finale, the Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team upset Monmouth University, 74-59, Tuesday, Feb. 27, en route to securing a winning record at the Rothman Center in Hackensack, NJ for the second-consecutive season. Freshman guard Jordan Sykes (Avalon, NJ/Holy Spirit) (Avalon, NJ/Holy Spirit) poured in 18 points in the final 20 minutes ? matching a career-high 24 total ? in addition to posting seven assists, five rebounds and four steals, as the Knights improved to 11-17 overall and 8-10 in the Northeast Conference.
Junior guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) tallied 14 points and four boards, while senior forward Mercedez Walker (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) added nine points, five rebounds and a career-high four steals.
Sykes penetrated the paint to drop in a lay-in, before Walker converted a put-back on the offensive boards with 17:39 remaining ? good for a 7-0 lead.
Junior forward Jennifer Walkling (Westminster, MD/Westminster) (Westminster, MD/Westminster) ? who registered eight points and eight rebounds ? notched a driving bucket on the right baseline. Sykes scored at the 15:35 mark, punctuating a 13-0 FDU run following tip-off.
The Knights surged ahead, 18-2, as Walker knocked down a 10-footer on the left baseline, followed by junior guard Megan Kirkland (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) splashing down a three-ball up top with 12:42 left.
“This is a great way to end the season at home,” Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. “The kids really wanted to win for Gayle (Coats) on Senior Night. They also wanted redemption from the loss six nights ago at Monmouth.”
Monmouth (17-12, 10-8 NEC) forward Lindsey Zegowitz (Damascus, MD/Damascus) made good on an old-fashioned three-point play amidst a 5-0 push, creating an 18-7 contest. Sophomore forward Katie Warehime (Littlestown, PA/Littlestown) (Littlestown, PA/Littlestown) responded by ending a 3:33 FDU scoring drought with a long deuce on the right wing then spotted up from the same vicinity on the ensuing possession.
Walker connected on an off-balance attempt on the left block at the 7:07 mark then capitalized at the charity stripe, as the Knights maintained a 25-12 advantage. The Hawks collected back-to-back hoops, before Sykes knocked down a pair of opportunities at the line, en route to an 89.7 percentage on the season (eighth in the nation).
Freshman forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) hit the offensive glass for a rip and a basket, followed by a pull-up from the right elbow with 3:28 remaining, to take a 31-16 lead. Slightly more than a minute later, Freeman posted up her defender and spun between two Hawks for a hoop-and-the-harm then knocked down the freebie.
The Knights ? who netted 32 points off turnovers ? hit the break on top, 36-26, as seven players scored, led by Walker's nine points and four steals. MU forward Veronica Randolph (Deerfield Beach, FL/Deerfield Beach) recorded five points, four boards and three assists.
Freeman opened the second-half with a trifecta, before the Hawks rattled off five-straight points to cut the deficit to single digits, 39-31, at the 17:35 mark. On FDU's next trip down the floor, Freeman responded by draining another three-ball.
Sykes accelerated past her defender for a lay-up with 15:48 left then drained an attempt from downtown, as the Knights held a 47-35 advantage. Monmouth went on a 7-1 push, led by two field goals on the interior by forward Jennifer Bender (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech).
Kirkland launched an outlet pass to Sykes who scored an easy deuce, re-opening a double-digit lead, 52-42, followed by Kirkland popping a trey from the right wing at the 10:39 mark. Junior forward Nikki Lockhart (Rochester, NY/Nazareth Academy) (Rochester, NY/Nazareth Academy) hit a turnaround in the key with 7:41 left.
Sykes spun around her defender and banked in a runner as the shot clock expired with 2:53 on the game clock. Freeman swiped the ensuing MU inbounds pass and after a timeout used the window amidst an old-fashioned three-point play to take a 69-57 stronghold.
“We came out focused, with a lot of energy,” Gordon said. “The team won with hustle plays, answering all of their runs. We led from start to finish.”
Bender finished with two team-bests ? 14 points and eight rebounds, while guard Marisa Jiminez (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) added 12 points and six boards.
The Knights ? the NEC Tournament's No. 7 seed ? will travel to second-seeded Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA, at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 3.
