Box Score

HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team defeated Sacred Heart, 75-69, with the help of a career-high 35 points from Kelsey Cruz (Chester, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) in the final regular season game of the 2013-14 season. With the victory on Senior Night, the Knights end the season 3-26 (2-16 NEC), while the Pioneers fall to 12-17 (9-9 NEC) overall. The victory is the second time FDU has defeated Sacred Heart since the two began playing one another in 1997. 
 
Cruz added two insurance free throws towards the end of regulation to add to her new career-high mark. The sophomore finished a fantastic shooting night at 66.7 percent from the field (12-of-18), including 2-of-3 from distance and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.
 
The Knights started the game hot, with a 12-5 run, as Sacred Heart struggled without star player Gabrielle Washington, who was inactive for tonight's contest.
 
After a rocky opening 10 minutes, The Pioneers would enjoy a 24-11 run to go into the halftime break up 33-25.
 
FDU came out better in the second stanza and quickly snatched their first lead in 10 minutes with a Brianna Thomas (Baldwin, N.Y./St. John the Baptist Diocesan) three-pointer, 35-33, to cap a 10-0 run.
 
There would be four lead changes over the following minutes until junior Amanda Andrades (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) hit a three-pointer with 12:43 remaining to give her team a 47-45 lead that it would never relinquish.
 
There was some late drama when Sacred Heart junior Katie Shepard hit a long three to tie the game at 69-69, but the next play was a Brianna Thomas (Baldwin, N.Y./St. John the Baptist Diocesan) three-point play that she converted.
 
Seniors Desiree Crawford (Aurora, Ontario/Cardinal Carter Catholic) and Alea Boyd (Washington, D.C./Takoma Academy) were honored during pregame ceremonies and both struggled in their final game in a FDU jersey due to foul trouble. Crawford finished with nine points and seven rebounds in just 23 minutes of action.
 
Andrades tallied 14 points and eight assists in 39 minutes of game action, and Thomas finished with 11 points, including a couple of the most important buckets in the game.