Box Score

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- Aided by a 13-of-22 performance from three-point range and a tenacious effort on the defensive side of the ball, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team upset second-place Bryant on the road, 63-52, on Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center to avenge a 27-point loss at home last month. With the victory, the Knights snap a five-game losing streak and improve to 9-17 (5-7 NEC) on the season, while the Bulldogs fall to 16-11 (8-4 NEC) overall.

The FDU defensive effort was phenomenal all night, holding Bryant to only 29.6 percent (16-of-54) from the field; a season best for the Knights. The defense in the second half was even better, with FDU allowing only 18 points, while the Bulldogs shot 17.2 percent (5-of-29). The 52 points was also a season best defensively for the Knights.

"That may have been the best defensive performance I have ever been involved in as a coach or a player," Head Coach Greg Herenda said. "Bryant is so good offensively – to hold them to 52 points in their building is just a credit to our kids."

The 52 points is the second-lowest point output for the Bulldogs this season, who scored a season low 48 at then third-ranked Ohio State. Notre Dame is the only other team to limit them to less than 60 points (59) this season.

FDU shot only 40.8 percent (20-of-49) from the floor but connected on 59.1 percent (13-of-22) of its three-pointers, including 9-of-14 in the first half, which proved to be the difference in the contest.

Trailing by five, the Knights used a 10-4 spurt to close out the first half to go into halftime leading 35-54.

With the game tied at 36-36 early in the second half, FDU took the lead for good with eight unanswered points to go up 44-36 at the 16:46 mark.

Nearly six minutes later, Bryant was able to whittle the lead back down to two at 49-47, but the Knights answered with an 8-2 spurt (seven coming from senior Mathias Seilund (Dragoer, Denmark/Falkonergaardens Gymnasium)) to extend their lead back out to eight at 57-49 with 5:33 remaining, before closing out the contest on a 14-5 run over the final 10:14.

During that stretch, the Bulldogs connected on 1-of-13 shots from the floor, while FDU made 9-of-13 free throws to seal the victory.

Junior Mustafaa Jones (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the first half after knocking down 5-of-7 from behind the arc over the first 20 minutes. Seilund went a perfect 4-for-4 from long distance en route to 17 points (11 in the second half), while senior Sidney Sanders Jr. (Charleston, S.C./Burke) added 15 points, seven rebounds and a game-high seven assists. Graduate student Scooter Gillette (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) paced the Knights on the glass with eight rebounds.

"It was great to see Sid (Sanders) get Mustafaa (Jones) and Mathias (Seilund) involved in our offense," Herenda said. "Everyone stepped up when their number was called. We really needed a win, and our entire team stepped up in a big way. I am a very proud coach tonight."

The FDU defensive also stifled Alex Francis, limiting the NEC's second-leading scorer to only seven points on 1-of-8 shooting from the floor. Corey Maynard led Bryant with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Dyami Starks added 16 on 6-of-21 shooting.

The Knights, who are now in seventh place, will have a quick turnaround to host last-place Sacred Heart on Saturday at Stratis Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m. FDU lost to the Pioneers, 71-67, on Jan. 11 in Fairfield, Conn. for Sacred Heart's only conference victory.