HACKENSACK, N.J. – Strong shooting in the second half and stout defense powered the Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team to its sixth win in nine games, prevailing 65-60 over Sacred Heart in the Rothman Center Monday night.
 
The Knights (6-10, 3-2 NEC) overcame a slow start offensively by making 66.7 percent of their shot attempts (14-of-21) in the second half, including 5-of-8 three-point tries. FDU took control of the game in the second period, outscoring the Pioneers (6-9, 3-1 NEC) 18-11 in the quarter to go up 30-22 at halftime, later extending the lead to as many as 17 in the third period. The Knights finished the night shooting 48.1 percent from the floor, their best in a game this season since shooting 50 percent against NJIT for the first win of the year.
 
FDU held Sacred Heart to just 34 percent shooting and 5-of-17 from three (29.4 percent), with the Pioneers missing 11 of their final 12 tries from deep. The Knights also dished out a season-high 20 assists in the game and won the advantage on the boards, 36-27. 
 
"We talked about in order to beat this team, we had to get it done on the defensive end, and we told them our goal was to hold them to 60 or less and we'll win the game," head coach Angelika Szumilo said. "I'm extremely proud of them. Five games in 11 days is a lot of minutes in a condensed period of time. We're 3-2 and it's exciting. There are things we still need to get better at, and we will, but now we need to get proper rest before our next challenge against Central Connecticut."
 
Five different players totaled at least eight points for FDU, with sophomore Rachael Niles leading with 11 points and freshman Maria Roters also reaching double figures with 10 points, all in the first half, to go with three assists. Senior Courtney Blankenship poured in a season-high nine points and matched her season-high totals of seven rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Celia Carbonell also equaled her season-high with nine points and three three-pointers, and junior Madison Stanley dished out a team-high six assists.
 
"I think we're just a very unselfish team, and I don't think there's one person that really cares if they score a lot," Szumilo said. "They're always trying to make the right pass and that's hard to guard."
 
Blankenship scored the first four points of the game with two early free throws and a layup as FDU's defense held the Pioneers without a point for the first 6:45 of the game. Sacred Heart did battle back to take a one-point lead, but the Knights matched the Pioneers point-for-point until Roters followed a Carbonell three-pointer with a jumper in the paint to make it 21-17.
 
Roters then stretched FDU's lead to seven with a three that was matched by Sacred Heart. The Knights closed the half scoring six of the last eight points, with a jumper by freshman Sierra DeAngelo helping FDU boost their lead up to nine at 30-21.
 
After two Pioneer free throws to start the second half, the momentum swung toward the Knights. Blankenship sank a layup off a Stanley assist that was then followed by back-to-back threes from Niles and sophomore Lindsey Mack, stretching FDU's lead to 14, and Carbonell then made her third three of the night to give the Knights their largest lead at 41-24.
 
Sacred Heart whittled the lead down to 10 over the next four minutes until layups from freshman Aniya Bell and senior Lauren Francillon, who reached 800 career points with eight in the game, boosted the advantage back up to 14 at 49-35.
 
The Knights held Sacred Heart to just 3-of-13 shooting in the third period, including 0-of-5 from deep, in expanding their lead, which grew up to as many as 15 in the fourth period. The Pioneers closed the gap to five over the final two minutes, but FDU ran out the time to hold on for their third NEC win of the season.
 
FDU last started 3-2 in the NEC back in the 2012-13 season. The Knights have totaled at least 14 assists in four of their first five conference games and have won six of seven games this season when finishing with at least 14 assists.
 
The Knights seek their first 4-2 start in the NEC in eight years when they take on Central Connecticut State next Monday at 1 p.m., part of a basketball doubleheader in the Rothman Center with the men's team playing immediately afterwards. Tickets for the game can be purchased in advance online at fduknights.com/tickets.