Box Score

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team saw its Northeast Conference Tournament hopes stay alive despite falling to Mount St. Mary's, 70-62, Saturday afternoon at Stratis Arena. With the victory, the Mount improves to 14-14 (10-7 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 11-17 (6-11 NEC) overall.

FDU must win its contest with Wagner this Monday night and hope Robert Morris wins at Bryant on Monday night. All three teams would finish with a conference record of 7-11, and the Knights would hold the tiebreaker based on the overall winning percentage in the games between the three teams.

Early on Saturday, freshman Kelsey Cruz (Chester, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) scored the first six points for FDU, as the Knights took an early 6-5 lead, but the Mount took control with a 16-2 spurt to go up 21-8 midway through the first half.

Back-to-back three's by Cruz and freshman Brianna Thomas (Baldwin, N.Y./St. John the Baptist Diocesan) halted the run and started a steak for FDU, which saw the Knights retake the lead with a 26-11 run, as redshirt junior Danielle Pankey (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South)'s layup in traffic put FDU ahead 34-32 with 1:39 to go before halftime.

The Mount then scored eight straight points, over both halves, and eventually outscored the Knights, 10-2, to take the lead for good at 42-36 with 18:24 remaining in the game.

Starting from the 17:27 mark of the second half, FDU would cut the lead to two on five different occasions over the next 9:30. Junior Desiree Crawford (Aurora, Ontario/Cardinal Carter Catholic)'s jumper put the Knights down 56-54 with 7:57 to go in the contest, but it was the closest they would come, as the Mount kept the contest at a two possession game until a pair of late free throws clinched the 70-62 victory.

Sophomore Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) picked up her 22nd double-double of the season, scoring a game-high 15 points and grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds. Redshirt junior Danielle Pankey (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) added 14 points off the bench, going 4-for-5 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Cruz chipped in 13 points, while sophomore Amanda Andrades (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) dished out a team-high six assists.

FDU shot 40.4 percent (21-of-52) from the field but only made 8-of-23 shots after halftime. The Knights also made 5-of-12 three's but only converted 1-of-6 in the second half. FDU did manage to knock down 15-of-18 free throws, while winning the battle on the glass, 33-26.

The Mount connected on 48.1 percent (25-of-52) of its attempts, including 7-of-20 from distance, while going 13-of-16 from the charity stripe. They also turned the ball over only nine times and forced the Knights into 18 miscues.

Sydney Henderson led the visitors with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Ashley Christie came off the bench to add 10 points.

FDU will conclude the 2012-13 regular season on Monday, March 4 when it hosts last-place Wagner at Stratis Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Knights defeated the Seahawks, 68-59, on Jan. 5 in the NEC opener on Staten Island, N.Y.