Three players scored more than 20 points, but it wasn't enough as the Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team fell to visiting Central Connecticut, 91-78, on Saturday night. The Knights fall to 2-13 on the season, including 2-4 in the Northeast Conference, while the Blue Devils improve to 7-8 on the season, with a 3-2 record in league action.
Sean Baptiste (North Brunswick, NJ/St. Josephs of Metuchen) (North Brunswick, NJ) led the team with 24 points and seven rebounds, swiping a career-high seven steals while Eric Moore (Dover, NJ/St. Benedict's) (Dover, NJ) posted a season-high 20 points. Cameron Tyler (Jamaica, NY/Notre Dame Prep (MA)) (Jamaica, NY) added 20 points and dished out eight assists and Terence Grier (Cranford, NJ/St. Thomas More Prep) (Cranford, NJ) was the fourth Knight to post double-digits, putting in 10 points and grabbing five rebounds.
Tyler's second three in the first three and a half minutes of the game gave FDU a 12-10 lead.
Baptiste took a steal down to the other end, converting it into a lay-up and after Kamil Svrdlik (Prerov, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Zlin)'s (Prerov, Czech Republic) defensive rebound, Grier's lay-up put the Knights ahead, 19-16, with 13 minutes left in the first half.
Shemik Thompson's steal led to a bucket for CCSU to make it a one-point game, 21-20, with 10:25 on the clock, but the Knights reeled off five-straight points for a 26-20 edge with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first frame.
Tyler sank a pair from the line to push the Knights ahead, 31-25, with 8:23 left until the break, but Central Connecticut responded with a 10-0 run to take the lead for the first time since the 13:33 mark.
Moore broke the Knights' three minute scoring draught with a long three from Tyler to cut the Blue Devils lead to one-point, 35-34, with 3:45 remaining in the half.
Back-to-back baskets from Ken Horton, followed by a layup from David Simmons, put the Blue Devils ahead, 41-34, capping a 16-3 run over a six-minute span.
With 36 seconds on the clock, Moore's shot under the basket made it a five-point Central lead, 41-36, and Baptiste's offensive rebound and tip-in made it a three-point game heading into the half, 41-38.
Moore led the Knights in the first half with 12 points, connecting on 5-of-8, while Tyler and Baptiste each added
11 points. The Blue Devils held a slight 16-13 edge on the boards and in shooting percentage, 65-43. Horton led CCSU in the first half, recording 20 points.
Central Connecticut began the second half with a 9-3 run, taking a 50-41 lead three minutes into the half. The Knights sank 3-of-4 from the free throw line, but were unable to connect on a field goal in the first four minutes of the half, until Moore broke the draught with a jumper in the paint.
Svrdlik drove to the basket to cut the Blue Devils' lead to five, 50-45, with 15 minutes left in the game. Horton scored five points as he converted a three-point play before sinking another basket. Simmons sank 1-of-2 from the line to cap a 9-0 run that gave Central a double-digit lead, 59-45.
FDU responded with six-straight points to slim the gap, 59-51, with 10:46 remaining in regulation, but Central Conn. out-scored the Knights 10-5 over the next three minutes to take a 69-56 lead with seven minutes left to play.
Tyler sank a basket before Moore's steal on the Knights' full-court press led to two quick points from Baptiste to make it 71-62.
Baptiste fed Moore behind the arc and then stole the ball, sinking a jumper to cut the gap to six points, finishing off an 11-2 run by the Knights, 73-67, with four minutes remaining. The Knights held the Blue Devils scoreless from the field for a stretch of three minutes.
Grier's lay-up with 2:27 on the clock made it 79-71, but the Blue Devils were able to stage an 11-4 run with nine points coming from the charity stripe. Baptiste converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 36 seconds on the clock and Ross Pentland connected on a free throw to make the final 91-78.
"We shot 24 more shots than they did, had nine less turnovers and eight more offensive rebounds, which should be good numbers," said Head Coach Tom Green. "But we are allowing way too much dribble penetration from other teams' guards. Our transition defense is something we really need to work on."
The Blue Devils held a 38-28 advantage on the boards and out-shot the Knights, 64-42 percent. FDU held the edge in points off turnovers, 19-9.
The Knights will play next at Bryant on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 1:00 p.m.
