JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team earned its third consecutive victory with a 66-61 win over Saint Peter's University on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at the Yanitelli Center. The Knights move to 3-3 on the season, while the Peacocks fall to 3-3 on the year.

“For us to be to be 3-3 right now, I'm ecstatic,” said Head Coach Greg Vetrone.  “These guys toughed it out and we found a way to win.  I can't speak enough about these guys and how they're coming together.”

The score was tight through the contest and showed five lead changes, five ties and neither team ever possessing greater than a seven-point lead.  With the score tied at 51, the Knights outscored Saint Peter's, 15-10, over the final seven minutes to earn the win on the road.  FDU went 11-for-18 from the free-throw line during that time, including 7-for-12 in the final minute to seal the triumph.

The 3-3 start is the first time the Knights have maintained a .500 record since the 2010-11 season, when the team began the season with a 3-3 mark.  

Senior Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) led the Knights with his second double-double of the season.  Rochford topped all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds.  Senior Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Bishop Stepinac) added 18 points for FDU and grabbed seven rebounds to help the Knights tie their win total from the 2011-12 season.

The Peacocks took a 5-0 lead early on and extended the advantage to seven points just six minutes into the contest.  Midway through the half, shots from Bolding and Mustafaa Jones (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) tied the game at 11.

The home team went on a quick five-point run to reclaim the lead before the Knights put together an eight-point string with baskets from Bolding, Rochford and Sidney Sanders Jr. (Charleston, S.C./Burke) and a three-point shot from Jones.  With six minutes left before halftime, the Knights held a 25-19 advantage.

The Peacocks once again battled back and took the lead on a jump shot in the final 30 seconds of the half.  The made shot gave Saint Peter's a 33-31 advantage at halftime.

The Knights shot 45.8 percent from the floor over the first 20 minutes of play, compared to Saint Peter's 46.4 percent. 

Saint Peter's increased its lead to seven points three minutes into the second half and maintained the lead until two free throws by Bolding cut the the lead to one point with nine minutes left to play.

A layup by Rochford and a three-point shot by Lonnie Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) gave the Knights their first lead of the second half with seven minutes on the clock.

A free throw by Bolding followed by a pivotal three-point play from Rochford set FDU up with a four-point lead. 

The Peacocks continued to fight to get to the basket and cut the deficit to three points on two occasions in the final minute.  However, the Knights' free throw shooting enabled them to maintain the lead and earn the win, 66-61.

Overall, the Knights outshot Saint Peter's, 45.5 percent to 39.7 percent.  The Knights took 19 fewer shots than Saint Peter's but made up for it at the free throw line.  FDU went 19-for-27 from the line for a 70.4 shooting percentage.  The Knights also made 7-of-14 shots from three-point range.

In addition to the Knights' two double-digit scorers, Jones had nine points with a trio of three-pointers; he also had seven rebounds.  Yves Jules (Brooklyn, N.Y./Canarsie) added eight for FDU by going 3-for-6 and a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point range, while Robinson added seven points and three assists in the win.

The Knights play the final game of the season-opening seven game road swing on Saturday, Dec. 1.  Tipoff against Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa. is slated for 7 p.m.