Junior forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) (Bayonne, NJ) and sophomore guard Alyssa Mayrose (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) (Freehold, NJ) poured in career-high scoring performances of 28 points and 25 points, respectively, to lead the Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team to an 80-66 victory versus visiting Quinnipiac University, Saturday, Jan. 3.
Following a 38-day interval without a home contest in Hackensack, NJ, the Knights returned to Stratis Arena at the Rothman Center, moving to 3-7 overall and 2-1 in the Northeast Conference. A season-high 10 three-balls by FDU propelled the Bobcats to suffer their first league setback, slipping to 2-1 and 8-4 overall.
“This is definitely a huge win for this team, as well as our program,” Head Coach Peter Cinella said. “Quinnipiac is a great team, with talented players.”
Altamirano and Mayrose combined to can seven three-pointers, while the tandem of student-athletes both registered 38 minutes of court time. Their effort resulted in the third Knights' win in 20 games against QU, and the first since an 81-68 decision, Feb. 9, 2002.
Altamirano was one rebound shy of her third double-double of the season, while also matching two season-highs with four assists and three steals. Mayrose connected on a career-best four attempts from downtown, amidst going 7-for-11 from the field and 7-for-9 at the free throw line. She also dropped a career-high five dimes, while snatching seven boards.
For the sixth-consecutive occasion, freshman guard Mariyah Laury (Orange, NJ/Orange) (Orange, NJ) led Fairleigh Dickinson's bench scoring with a double-digit output, utilizing a hot start to record 13 points. Meanwhile, junior guard Jordan Sykes (Avalon, NJ/Holy Spirit) (Avalon, NJ) engineered an offense that generated a season-best scoring production, en route to posting a solid stat line of nine points, seven assists, four rebounds, and a season-high three steals.
“Jordan stepped up and handled their defensive pressure well, especially as the game wore on,” said Cinella.
The Bobcats scored the game's first two hoops, before Mayrose popped a triple slightly more than two minutes after the opening tip. Altamirano hit two at the line to knot things, 6-6, before QU junior guard Kathleen Neyens (Jaffrey, NH) stepped into a clean look from behind the arc, triggering a five-point run.
Altamirano sliced the margin to 18-13 at the 12:01 mark, as the Knights strung together five-straight of their own. Laury then put her versatility on display, as FDU would press towards its first lead of the afternoon and never relinquish.
Laury stepped back for a trey on the right wing to make it 22-18 with 8:19 remaining. On the ensuing possession, Laury dished to Sykes who tickled the twine with a three-pointer. Laury then picked a QU pocket and converted an easy deuce at the 7:16 mark ? good for a 23-22 advantage, and her third-consecutive field goal in as many opportunities.
The momentum continued for the home-standing squad, as Laury splashed home an effort from long range, extending an ongoing surge with 4:14 remaining. A pair of free throws courtesy of Mayrose punctuated an FDU season-best 17-0 surge, and the Knights held a 32-22 handle with 3:40 left. Quinnipiac senior guard Erin Kerner (Erie, PA) would halt a 6:17 scoring drought at the charity stripe, bringing the Bobcats' hole to single-digits at 32-24.
QU was limited to two field goals during the final 8:36 of the first half, one of which came in the final minute. Fairleigh Dickinson hit the break ahead, 36-28. The Knights got to the line seven times, capitalizing every time. Altamirano and Laury paced Cinella's unit with 11 points each. Meanwhile, Neyens provided nine points, and Kerner six, for the Bobcats.
The teams exchanged field goals to begin the second stanza. Altamirano then attacked the offensive glass and notched a put-back, and Mayrose struck in transition to gain a 44-31 lead with 17:41 on the clock. However, the Bobcats battled to cut it back to single-digits.
FDU pushed it to 48-37 on a trifecta from Altamirano with 14:55 left. Mayrose accepted a feed from Sykes on the left wing and drained a three. But Quinnipiac senior guard Mandy Pennewell (West Chester, PA) cashed-in on the right block despite being hacked at the 11:29 mark, leaving things still in favor of the Knights, 51-45.
Altamirano nailed a triple off an in-bounds play. Mayrose then erupted for back-to-back three-pointers to open things up. The Bobcats refused to fade, creating a 64-58 contest, via treys by Kerner and Pennewell ? the latter coming with 5:20 remaining.
“We hit some big three's tonight,” Cinella said. “Either Alyssa or Christy had an answer to every one of Quinnipiac's runs. From there, we put together some key defensive stops in the final five minutes to maintain the lead.”
At the 2:37 juncture, senior center Shenika Chang (New York, NY/Park West) (New York, NY) placed her mark on the match-up, swishing a long jumper to put the Knights up 71-58. In only her second game of the season, Chang also turned away two shots.
Quinnipiac would force FDU to the free throw line, where Cinella's squad sealed the W with an 8-for-8 effort.
Neyens collected a team-high 15 points for Quinnipiac, while Kerner put up 13 points. Pennewell was left one point shy of reaching the 1,000-point plateau, after scoring 12 points. Two rookies quietly put together solid efforts, as forward Jacki Mann (Rutherford, NJ) hauled down 10 rebounds, and forward Jacinda Dunbar (Edison, NJ) netted 10 points.
Fairleigh Dickinson hosts Wagner College at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 3.
