For the second time this season five Knights scored in double-digits, leading the Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team past visiting Lafayette, 71-68, on Monday evening at Stratis Arena.
Sean Baptiste (North Brunswick, NJ/St. Josephs of Metuchen) (North Brunswick, NJ) led FDU with 18 points and Cameron Tyler (Jamaica, NY/Notre Dame Prep (MA)) (Jamaica, NY) added 14 points. Alvin Mofunanya (Englewood, NJ/Dwight Morrow) (Englewood, NJ) had 12 points and Kamil Svrdlik (Prerov, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Zlin) (Prerov, Czech Republic) and Terence Grier (Cranford, NJ/St. Thomas More Prep) (Cranford, NJ) each netted 10 points. Mofunanya and Baptiste each grabbed seven rebounds. Mofunanya swatted seven shots and Tyler dished out nine assists, while Grier grabbed three steals.
Grier found John Galvin (Weston, CT/Weston) (Weston, CT) under the basket to make it a one-point game, with Lafayette holding the 12-11 advantage eight minutes into the first half. FDU then took its first lead since 3-0 as Tyler fed Baptiste for a lay-up and a 13-12 edge. Galvin then converted an old-fashioned three-point play for a 16-14 advantage.
A three from Terence Grier (Cranford, NJ/St. Thomas More Prep) gave Fairleigh Dickinson the 23-18 advantage with eight minutes remaining until the break.
Grier's steal led to a fast break dunk and a defensive rebound from Galvin was converted into three-points on a shot behind the arc from Baptiste, capping a 7-1 run to give the Knights a 30-23 lead with four and a half minutes left in the first frame.
A tip-in from Baptiste at the buzzer sent the Knights into the locker room with a 35-29 lead.
In a quick-paced first half, the Knights were able to force 13 turnovers and out-rebound the Leopards, 17-13.
Baptiste led all scorers with 11 points, while Grier had eight. FDU out-scored Lafayette in second-chance points, 11-4.
The Leopards staged a 7-2 run early in the second half to cut FDU's lead down to two, 41-39, three and a half minutes into the period. The Knights responded with an 8-2 run of their own over the next two minutes to expand the gap, 49-41.
Back-to-back baskets from Mofunanya and a free throw from Baptiste gave the Knights their largest lead of the half, 56-47, with 10 minutes left to play. But the Leopards responded with five unanswered points in 30 seconds, stretching it to a 9-0 run to knot the score at 56-56 with eight minutes on the clock.
The score was knotted again at 58, but back-to-back buckets from Grier and Tyler regained possession of the lead for the Knights.
Jared Mintz connected on a pair of free throws from the line to make it a one-point game, 65-64, and the Leopards took the lead on the next possession as Jeff Kari netted a fast break lay-up after Darion Benbow grabbed a defensive rebound and sent it down the court.
With 47.5 seconds on the clock, Galvin was sent to the line for a one-and-one situation. He calmly sank both free throws to give FDU the one-point lead. On the other end, Mofunanya brought down a huge defensive rebound and dished it out to Tyler, who was fouled. Tyler, also in a one-and-one situation, put in both of his shots.
Andrew Brown sank a lay-up with 15 seconds on the clock to make it a one-point FDU lead, 69-68. With only one second coming off the clock on the inbounds, the Leopards fouled Tyler, who again sank both free throws.
Lafayette had two three-point shots in the final six seconds to tie the score, but both were off the mark.
The Knights out-shot the Leopards, 46-40 percent, and had eight blocks to Lafayette's two.
FDU was able to hold the Leopards to two three-pointers in each half, taking 21 attempts.
“This game came down to defending from three-point range,” said Head Coach Tom Green. “It's ironic that it came down to defending three-pointers on the last play of the game. John and Cam's free throws at the end of the game were critical. Cam stepped up at the end and made four big free throws. Getting back in the win column tonight was big.”
The Knights return to conference action on Feb. 5, when they play at Wagner at 7:00 p.m.
