HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Fairleigh Dickinson was down four at the half to Saint Francis U before the Red Flash scored 44 points--25 in the fourth--after halftime to get an 80-56 win on Sunday afternoon. 

Saint Francis U (7-7, 2-0 NEC) got 20 second-half points from Jessica Kovatch, who finished with a game-high 24. The Red Flash hit nine 3-pointers after the halftime intermission and 11-of-14 from the free throw line. Fairleigh Dickinson made only made one 3-pointer and a free throw in the third and fourth quarters. 

Head coach Peter Cinella afterward, "We got outscored from three and turned the ball over too much. We set a goal of 15 or fewer turnovers, and we did not do that." 

Saint Francis U forced 27 Fairleigh Dickinson turnovers and scored 30 points off those miscues. 

Fairleigh Dickinson (8-5, 0-2 NEC) has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season and is 0-2 to start Northeast Conference play for the second straight season. Peniel M'Bikata and Amina Markovic had 14 points to pace the Knights. The 14 points are a new career high for M'Bikata. Madelynn Comly was in double figures at 12; after not scoring on Friday against Robert Morris.  

The Knights made only three 3-pointers in the game; after averaging six makes per game coming in. The Red Flash averaged eight makes from long range coming in and connected on 13 over the 40 minutes. 

Saint Francis U took the at 5-4 in the first on a Maya Wynn 3-pointer and did not relinquish it for the remaining 37-plus minutes.  Fairleigh Dickinson got within a point a handful of times but could not get the game tied or take the lead. 

M'Bikata hit a three from the wing to start the fourth quarter to bring the Knights within eight, 55-47. The would be as close as the Knights would get for the remainder of the game. The Red Flash closed the game on a 25-9 run over the final 8:16. 

Leah Morrow led another four Red Flash players in double figures with 13. 

Markovic added eight rebounds to her 14 points. M'Bikata grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists. Comly got six rebounds and had four helpers. Kamrin Weimer had a team-high five assists. 

"We did improve the rebounding problem we had and outrebounded both teams this weekend. Now we have to fix our turnover problem. [Next] have to go on the road and face two teams that are playing pretty well in Wagner and Mount," finished Cinella. 

The Knights hit the road for the first time in league play next weekend when they travel to Wagner and Mount St. Mary's. First up is Wagner on Saturday, January 6 at 1 p.m. on Staten Island.