Box Score
HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team held Army to 30 percent shooting from the field and five percent from distance, but the visiting Black Knights found a way to squeak out a 57-52 win to spoil FDU's home opener at Stratis Arena on Thursday night.
 
FDU (0-3) clung to an eight-point lead at 40-32 with 8:55 left in regulation, but Army (2-1) outscored the Knights 25-12 the rest of the way for the win.
 
Army was plus 15 in the battle on the boards with 50 rebounds, including 20 on the offensive end, to FDU's 35. FDU committed a season-low 15 turnovers and forced Army to turn the ball over 17 times. The Knights were active in pressuring the Black Knights' shooting efforts as Army shot just 18-of-59 from the field and 1-of-18 from behind the arc.
 
“Army is a well coached team,” Head Coach Peter Cinella said. “They really stayed with it. We had an eight-point lead, but they got some key rebounds. On a positive note, we held Army to 30 percent from the field and 1-of-1818 on 3s. Our defense was good, but we have to rebound better.”
 
Early in the first half, sophomore Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) got a steal, then converted a jumper on the other end to give FDU its biggest lead of the half at 6-2. FDU's advantage evaporated as Army took a 16-11 edge with 6:06 left on the first half clock.
 
A 3-pointer by sophomore Mariah Nunes (Ajax, Ontario/Bill Crothers ) evened the score at 18 apiece with 1:11 to go before intermission, but a layup on the other end with seven seconds to go gave the visitors a 20-18 halftime lead. Army led by two at the half despite shooting 0-of-9 on 3s.
 
The Burgundy and Blue earned its first second-half lead on a Livermore layup with 17:21 left to give FDU a 23-22 advantage. The Knights led throughout much of the second half, culminating with two free throws for junior Desiree Crawford (Aurora, Ontario/Cardinal Carter Catholic) for a 40-32 lead. From there, Army went a 10-2 run to tie things up at 42-42 and took a 43-42 lead on a free throw at the 5:54 mark.
 
Army was able to hold on down the stretch, converting 16-of-18 from the charity stripe in the second half, while outscoring FDU 37-34 in the final 20 minutes of play.
 
With 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds, Livermore picked up her third double-double in three games this season, while redshirt junior Danielle Pankey (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) led the offense with 18 points and eight boards. Nunes added a career-best 10 points.
 
Three Army players registered double-doubles, including Anna Simmers with a game-high 21 points to go with 10 rebounds. Aimee Oertner finished with 16 points and 10 boards, and Olivia Schretzman chipped in with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Knights will be in action again on Sunday, Nov. 18, when they travel to Manhattan to take on Columbia for a 2 p.m. tipoff.