HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team recorded history in its 74-67 home victory over Central Connecticut State, notching the 500th overall win as a program as well as their first Northeast Conference win of the season.
The Knights (4-10, 1-2 NEC) led for the majority of the game and shot 48.1 percent from the floor (25-of-52) as well as 21-of-23 on free throw attempts (91.3 percent).
Junior
Lauren Francillon turned in a huge performance for the Knights, recording her first double-double of the season in notching 31 points and 16 rebounds. She finished 10-of-12 from the field and made all 11 of her free throw attempts. Francillon's 30-point effort was the most by a Knight since recent graduate
Amina Markovic scored 32 against Saint Francis U on December 29, 2016.
FDU sealed up win no. 500 by turning up the defensive pressure down the stretch. Seniors
Natalie Zamora and
Peniel M'Bikata each forced turnovers and collected steals midway through the fourth period to help extend the Knights' lead to nine.
The Blue Devils (3-10, 0-3 NEC) made a final push to tie the game, but Zamora ended the run with a fast-break layup. The Knights proceeded to close the game with eight of the last nine points scored, forcing CCSU to miss their final eight shots from the floor.
"You know Central Connecticut is never going to give up, so they were very aggressive late in the game and I'm glad we handled it with defensive stops in a row and really make our free throws down the stretch," head coach
Peter Cinella said after the game. "Obviously, Lauren had a tremendous game. She was completely dominant today. Penny and Natalie in our press were able to get some key breakaway layups off our press."
When asked about the 500th win in program history, Cinella said, "It's a great milestone for the university to have 500 overall wins and I'm glad we were able to do it at home against a conference team."
Zamora and M'Bikata also scored in double figures for the Knights. Zamora scored 15 points to go with four assists and two steals, while M'Bikata netted 12 points and five steals to go with five rebounds.
Francillon scored six of the Knights' first 10 points to help the home team jump out to a 10-4 lead. Junior
Jenna Clark then scored five straight points with a three-pointer and a layup, but the Blue Devils responded with nine straight points to take an 18-15 lead.
Senior
Madelynn Comly stopped the run with a layup, and Francillon found senior
Lucia Serrano-Ranz with a nice pass underneath that the senior laid in to give the Knights back the lead, 19-18.
Francillon then scored the next seven points to make it 26-18 before CCSU rallied back with six straight. A Zamora three-pointer helped the Knights stretch the advantage to seven, and the Knights went into the locker room at halftime up 42-35.
Two M'Bikata baskets provided FDU its largest lead of the game, 46-35, to start the third period. The Blue Devils then cut the margin down to three before Francillon finished the period by scoring six straight points, giving the Knights a 58-49 advantage.
A Comly jumper was the only basket for the Knights halfway through the final period as CCSU trimmed the deficit back down to three, 60-57. After two M'Bikata free throws, Zamora stole a CCSU pass and finished the layup on the other end, and M'Bikata created a similar play but was fouled on her layup attempt. The senior sank both free throws to make it 66-57.
CCSU tied the game with under three minutes left, but Francillon pulled down a big rebound off a missed three-pointer and launched a deep pass to Zamora for an easy layup to give the Knights a lead they would not relinquish.
Francillon followed that play with a block on CCSU's next shot attempt and grabbed her 15th rebound while drawing a foul. She sank both free throws to create her final point total. The Knights made seven of eight free throws in the final two minutes to help seal the historic victory.
FDU held CCSU to only 5-of-22 from beyond the arc (22.7 percent) and finished with a 37-32 advantage on the boards while dishing out 11 assists and recording eight steals.
The Blue Devils were led by Kiana Patterson, who finished with 14 points.
In the course of their 500 all-time wins, the Knights have won 215 NEC games reached the milestone in the program's 1,176th recorded game since starting the varsity program in 1977. The program record for wins in a season is 23, accomplished in the 1991-92 season when the Knights won their second NEC title.
FDU returns to action on Monday night, traveling to Staten Island, N.Y., to take on Wagner at 7 p.m.
