The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team lost a thriller to Central Connecticut State University, 76-73, in a Northeast Conference matchup at Stratis Arena in the Rothman Center in Hackensack, NJ on Saturday night.  The Blue Devils improve to 5-9 (2-2 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 5-9 (1-2 NEC) overall.

Sophomore Mariyah Laury (Orange, NJ/Orange) led all scorers with a career-high 32 points, breaking her old career-high of 26 points set last game versus Bryant.  She also shot 60 percent (12-20) from the field.  Redshirt sophomore Jasmyra Saunders (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Catholic) added 13 points.  She also dished out a career-high six assists and registered four steals, both leading the Knights.

Down 4-0, Saunders scored the first two points for the Knights with a short jumper in the lane to make it 4-2.  The Blue Devils then scored the next six points before Saunders driving layup cut the lead to 10-4. 

After Laury's layup cut the Blue Devils' lead to four at 10-6, Central Connecticut State scored seven unanswered points. The Knights then scored the next five on Laury's jumper from the left wing and junior Alyssa Mayrose's three-pointer from the right corner to cut the lead to 17-11 with 11:22 to go in the first half.

The Blue Devils then went on a 9-2 run to go up 26-13, their largest lead of the first half, with 8:22 to go.  Freshman Alannah Driscoll-Sbar (Northampton, MA/Northampton)'s three-pointer and sophomore Erica McKeithan's short jumper from the right baseline cut the Blue Devils' lead back down to eight at 26-18.

After the Blue Devils went back up 13 points, Laury scored the next five points for the Knights to cut the lead to 31-23.  The Blue Devils then scored the next four before the Knights went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 35-30 with 2:11 to go in the first half.  Sophomore Esther Wallace (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central) hit a turnaround jumper, junior Kayla Killian (Cliffwood Beach, NJ/St. John Vianney) knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key, and Mayrose capped the run with a layup off an assist from Saunders, who stole the ball from the Blue Devils.

The teams played even basketball over the final two minutes of the first half, and the Blue Devils went into halftime with a 39-34 advantage.

Laury led the Knights in the first half with 11 points.  Four different Knights collected two rebounds.  Despite shooting 47 percent (14-30) from the floor, FDU was outshot by the Blue Devils as the visitors shot 58 percent (14-24) from the field, including 50 percent (4-8) from three-point range. 

Central Connecticut State also out-rebounded FDU in the first half, 17-11.  However, the Knights won the first-half turnover battle as they only turned the ball over six times.  FDU forced 11 turnovers by the Blue Devils and scored 16 points off of the miscues.

The Blue Devils opened up the second half scoring the first eight points before Wallace's turnaround jumper in the lane cut the lead to 47-36 with 16:18 to go in the game.

The Blue Devils then outscored the Knights 14-10 over an eight minute stretch to take their largest lead of the game at 61-46 with 8:28 to go.  FDU then answered with a 10-0 run to cut the Blue Devils' lead to 61-56 with 5:56 to go in the game. 

Saunders started the run with a three-pointer from the top of the key.  Laury then knocked down a jumper, and junior Jenna Strich made a three-pointer from the left corner.  Saunders finished the run with a steal and converting an easy layup.

Strich's second three-pointer, deep from the right wing, cut the lead to 65-61 with 4:06 to go.  Next time down, Laury knocked down a deep three-pointer from the top of the key to cut the Blue Devils' lead to one, 65-64, with 3:26 to go in the game.

Central Connecticut State's Leanne Crockett answered with a three-pointer to put the Blue Devils back up four, 68-64.

Kayla Killian (Cliffwood Beach, NJ/St. John Vianney)'s jumper put the Knights back down two at 68-66.  With 1:59 to go in the game, Laury hit a pull up jumper to tie the game at 68, the first time the game was tied since the opening tip. 

The Blue Devils then answered with a P.J. Wade jumper from the baseline to go back up, 70-68. 

After Laury made one of two free throws with 1:14 to go, Wade missed a backdoor layup, and Laury corralled the rebound and was fouled.

Laury made both ends of the one and one to give the Knights their first lead of the game, 71-70, with 52 seconds to go in the game.

Justina Udenze then made two free throws with 32 seconds to go to put the Blue Devils back up 72-71.

With 22 seconds left in the game, Killian missed a three-pointer, and the Blue Devils grabbed the rebound.  Alexzandria Dowdy was fouled and missed the front end of the one and one.  Udenze grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled with 15 seconds left.

After making the front end of the one and one to put the Blue Devils up 73-71, Udenze missed the second, but Crockett grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled.

Crockett missed the first and made the second of the two-shot foul and put the Blue Devils up, 74-71, with 12 seconds to go in the game.

Laury made a short jumper with four seconds left to cut the lead to 74-73.

Udenze was then fouled again and made both free throws to put the Blue Devils back up three, 76-73.

Saunders then took the ball down the court and got a great look to tie the game, but her running 27-footer hit off the back of the glass, and Central Connecticut State escaped with the 76-73 victory.

"We showed a lot of courage down 15 points to take the lead in the last minute," said head coach Pete Cinella.  "Our offense really clicked tonight.  We have to do a better job of rebounding the basketball."

Both teams shot the ball really well from the field for the entire game.  Central Connecticut State shot 57 percent (27-51), and FDU shot 50 percent (29-58).  Both teams almost shot identical in the second half, with each team making 15 field goals at around 55 percent.

The Blue Devils held a commanding lead on the boards, out-rebounding the Knights, 36-21, including 13 on the offensive glass.  The Blue Devils outscored the Knights 20-4 on second chance points and in the paint, 40-22.

Defensively, the Knights forced 19 turnovers for the game while only committing 10.  FDU scored 28 points off turnovers for the game.  

Udenze led Central Connecticut State with 20 points.  Wade added 18 points for the Blue Devils.  Crockett led all rebounders with 12.

The Knights have a quick turnaround and return to action this Monday, Jan. 11, at Quinnipiac for an NEC matchup.  Tip-off is slated for 5:00 p.m.