HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team took a heartbreaking, 66-63, loss to NJIT on Monday, Jan. 14 at Stratis Arena.  The Knights fall to 7-10 on the year in their final nonconference contest, while the Highlanders improve to 9-8 this season.

After trailing by as many as 16 points late in the first half, the Knights battled back to tie the game and take a brief one-point lead in the final minutes of play.  NJIT made a late jump shot and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final 20 seconds to seal the win.

The Knights' second-half turnaround was led by Lonnie Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) and Mathias Seilund (Dragoer, Denmark/Falkonergaardens Gymnasium) who scored 11 and 10 points in the half, respectively.  The duo shot 6-for-8 from the field in the second half, including 5-of-6 from beyond-the-arc.

FDU outshot NJIT, 47.8 percent to 35.0 percent in the second half but could not steal the advantage from the Highlanders.  Four made three throws gave NJIT a six-point lead with three seconds to play, before Robinson sank a three from long range to make the final score 66-63 as time expired.

The teams traded three-point shots to open the game before NJIT connected on 4-of-5 shots from the field to take a 12-5 lead seven minutes into the contest. 

The Highlanders continued to shoot well from three-point range and capitalized on several offensive rebounds to increase their lead to 12 points midway through the half.  The Knights did not back down but were met with retaliation on every opportunity they produced.

Double-digit scoring from two Highlanders in the first half increased their lead to 16 points in the final minute of the period.  A layup by Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) cut the NJIT advantage to 39-25 at the break.

The Knights shot 45.5 percent from the field in the opening half, but allowed NJIT to go 7-for-10 from three-point range.  The Highlanders shot 44.1 percent but were able to produce 12 more shots and record 12 second-chance points.  NJIT out-rebounded FDU, 21-10, in the first half.

A Xavier Harris (Philadelphia, Pa./Constitution) layup sparked a 9-0 run for FDU to open the second half and cut the deficit to 39-34 with 13 minutes remaining.  Midway through the half, the Knights produced a 6-1 spurt to cut the Highlander advantage to just two points.

The Highlanders continued to sink three-point shots but six consecutive free throws by FDU gave the Knights a one-point lead, 52-51, with six minutes to play.  NJIT responded to the Knights' edge immediately and reclaimed a five-point lead on a layup and four shots from the free-throw line in the next two minutes.

Rochford and Seilund combined for five points to tie the game at 57 with 3:30 left to play.  NJIT took a 60-57 lead on a three-pointer by Ky Howard before the Knights tied the game again with 1:21 left on the clock.

NJIT went ahead in the last minute of play on a jump shot by Chris Flores and four consecutive free throws.  Robinson's three-pointer at the buzzer cut the NJIT lead to three points, 66-63.

In total, the game saw seven double-digit scorers.  NJIT's Ryan Woods led all players with 20 points, while Rochford led the Knights with 14.  Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Bishop Stepinac) added 13 points for FDU, while Robinson and Seilund chipped in 11 and 10, respectively.

Rochford led the Knights on the glass with eight rebounds.  Overall, the Knights were outrebounded, 32-25, but held NJIT to 10 fewer boards than their season average.

The Knights outshot NJIT, 46.7 percent to 40.7 percent from the floor but were outmatched from beyond-the-arc, 58.8 percent to 52.9 percent. 

FDU resumes Northeast Conference action when they host LIU Brooklyn on Thursday, Jan. 17.  Tipoff at Stratis Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.