PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team dropped a non-conference road test to Providence 69-59 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Tuesday night.
 
The Knights (3-3) remained within striking distance of the Big East Friars (5-2) for the duration of the contest and won the second half 40-39 but were unable to ever take the lead.
 
Sophomore guard Xzavier Malone-Key led the way with 16 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting effort and has now scored in double figures in all six games. The Philadelphia native added five rebounds and two steals to his ledger, while second-year point guard Jahlil Jenkins joined his teammate in double figures with 12 points in the loss.
 
Providence junior forward Alpha Diallo led all scorers with 20 points and nabbed eight rebounds for the Friars, who shot 50 percent in the victory.
 
After a cold-shooting first half, the Knights rebounded to shoot 57.7 percent from the field in the second stanza and 50 percent (7-of-14) from three-point range. The Knights also held their own on the glass surrendering a 34-31 rebounding edge. Junior forward Kaleb Bishop was at the forefront of the rebounding effort with a season-high 12 caroms.

Following the game, head coach Greg Herenda said, "I'm very proud of our effort tonight from start to finish. I just wish that we could have played better offense in the first half. Give Providence's defense a ton of credit. They are very long, athletic and well-schooled."

Herenda continued, "Also, I am excited that our big guys are starting to come around and play better. Kaleb was a force on the glass tonight on both ends and Mike finished really strong around the basket. We came here tonight to win and didn't but the guys played their hearts out and we have nothing to be ashamed of. We competed for 40 minutes against a very good Big East team and acquitted ourselves well."
 
The Knights forced six turnovers prior to the second media timeout and trailed 12-10 with 11:11 to go in the opening half.
 
An 8-0 run, highlighted by an alley-oop to Nate Watson, gave the Friars a 21-12 lead with 7:56 to play in the half.  The Knights missed their first five from behind the arc before Malone-Key knocked one down to end the Friars' run.
 
After the Friars started 9-of-13, they made just one of their next eight but the Knights were equally cold, connecting on 1-of-12 over that same span. The home Friars established their first double-digit lead of the contest, 26-16, when Isaiah Jackson made a pair of free throws with 2:46 to play in the half.
 
Jenkins answered with a 3-pointer for the Burgundy and Blue but A.J. Reeves turned a steal into a dunk for the Friars, who carried a 30-19 lead into the halftime break.
 
The Knights were held to 29.6 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes but forced nine turnovers led by Malone-Key who nabbed two steals to go along with his five first-half points. Edge topped the Knights' scoresheet at the break with six points, while Elyjah Williams scored three with three rebounds and a pair of blocks.
 
Jackson and Watson paced the Friars in the opening stanza with seven points apiece.
 
The Knights made three of their first four out of intermission, including five points from Malone-Key as they cut the deficit back to single-digits prior to the first media timeout.
 
After the Friars rebuilt their lead to 12, the Knights chipped away and a Malone-Key 3-pointer briefly pulled the Knights to within eight, 46-38,  before A.J. Reeves answered with his own trifecta on the next possession.
 
The Knights would claw to within nine after a pair of free throws by Jenkins but again the Friars had the answer. This time, a 7-0 run spearheaded by Diallo provided the home team with their largest lead-to-date, 16 points, with six minutes to go.
 
Each time the Knights appeared to be on the verge of closing the gap, the Friars had the answer as they held off a comeback and secured the win.
 
The Knights are back in action this Saturday, December 1 when they travel to Holy Cross to face the Crusaders at 1:05 p.m.