The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team lost to visiting Army, 61-40, on Monday evening at Stratis Arena in Hackensack, NJ. The home game was only the second for the Knights this season, who fell to 1-8.
Freshman guard Louis Larizza (Port Chester, NY/Port Chester) and junior forward Kamil Svrdlik (Prerov, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Zlin) led the Knights eight points apiece. Sophomore guard Sam Fernley (Sheffield, England/Silverdale) and senior guard Sean Baptiste (North Brunswick, NJ/St. Josephs of Metuchen) each added six.
The Black Knights (6-2) got off to a quick start, scoring 14 unanswered points. Baptiste ended the six and a half minute drought with a bucket to put the Knights on the board.
Sophomore forward Anaclet Mulumba (Montreal, Canada/Vanier College) sank both of his free throws from the line to cut Army's lead to 18-8 with 9:10 on the clock.
Army stretched its lead to 29-11 with a little more than a minute on the clock, but Fernley responded with a trey on the other end and Svrdlik grabbed a steal and fed it to junior guard Mike Scott (Philadelphia, PA/Texas Christian) for a lay-up.
Army, shooting 57 percent in the first half, took a 32-16 lead into the break. FDU shot 27 percent, connecting on only six field goals. The Black Knights had six three-pointers in the first half, holding FDU to one.
Junior guard Terence Grier (Cranford, NJ/St. Thomas More Prep) led the Knights in the first half with four rebounds, while Mulumba had a team-high four points. Julian Simmons led Army with 11 points in the first half.
Army only out-scored the Knights by four in the second half, 29-24. FDU held the Black Knights to 45 percent and a trio of three-pointers, while improving to 32 percent shooting from the floor.
The Black Knights started the second half with a 9-3 run over the first six minutes to take a 41-19 lead. Larizza followed two made free throws with a three-pointer to cut Army's lead to 47-31 and Baptiste netted a jumper with 8:30 remaining in regulation, but the Knights were unable to whittle down Army's lead any further.
"We held them to 61 points, but we aren't going to win games only scoring 40," said Head Coach Greg Vetrone. "We really got a lift from the bench players, who came in and played hard."
Simmons led all scorers with 17 points, shooting 6-for-13, while Cleveland Richard added 12 points. The Knights forced 21 turnovers but were out-rebounded, 34-24.
The Knights will play at Lafayette on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7pm.
