HACKENSACK, N.J. – In a rematch of last season's Northeast Conference Championship Game, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team fell 100-85 to Saint Francis at Stratis Arena on Wednesday night. The game aired live on ESPNU.
 
Senior forward Kaleb Bishop recorded his fifth double-double of the season by scoring 22 points with 12 rebounds, while redshirt freshman Marc Dadika scored a career-high 13 points in the loss on 6-of-7 from the field. Junior guard Jahlil Jenkins registered a season-high eight assists to go along with 15 points.
 
The Red Flash (11-5, 4-1 NEC) shot 56.9 percent overall and drained 11-of-21 from three-point range in the win. Isaiah Blackmon led all scorers with 25 points and made all 10 of his free throws. Tyler Stewart scored 19 for the Red Flash, while reigning NEC Player of the Year Keith Braxton scored 17 with eight rebounds and five assists.
 
The Knights (3-13, 1-4 NEC) shot 50 percent overall and dished out a season-high 18 assists but were unable to match the long-range shooting of the Red Flash, connecting on 7-of-20 3-pointers in the loss.
 
"I think we are trying to guard but right now we are not stopping anyone," said Greg Herenda after the game. "We are losing way too many one-on-one battles on the three-point line and at the rim. Give Saint Francis credit, they are a very good offensive team but tonight's defensive performance was unacceptable. It's a shame because we really moved the ball well tonight and had some great offensive performances. For us to have 18 assists to their 13 and lose by 15 points tells me that we are not guarding the ball and that simply must change."

The Knights fell behind by nine points in the early going but a pair of 3-pointers by Devon Dunn helped turn the tide and the Burgundy and Blue captured their first lead, 21-20 with 9:30 to play in the half. Dunn would finish eight points on the night.
 
After the Red Flash established another two-possession lead, the Knights fought back with a 9-2 run but still trailed heading into the locker room, 44-42. Dunn and Dadika came off of the bench and provided a spark for the Burgundy and Blue tallying eight and seven points, respectively. Dadika's first-half point total was a career-high for the redshirt freshman.
 
Both teams shot the ball efficiently in the opening stanza with the Red Flash posting a 52 percent clip and the Knights 51 percent. In addition, the two squads connected on four 3-pointers. Stewart paced the Red Flash with 11 first-half points and knocked down three trifectas.
 
The Red Flash would nail six of their first eight to start the half, including a pair of 3-pointers by Myles Thompson, which established the first double-digit lead of the contest, 60-50.
 
A 3-pointer by Blackmon with 10 minutes to play provided the Red Flash with a 78-62 lead, their largest to that point. The Knights immediately responded with a 7-0 run before Braxton stopped the spurt with a 3-pointer.
 
The Red Flash continued to connect from distance and established their largest lead of the contest, 88-71, with 6:20 to play in regulation. The Knights were unable to get closer than 13 points over the remainder of the game.
 
Next up for the Burgundy and Blue is a Martin Luther King Jr. Day home tilt against Central Connecticut State on Monday, January 20 at 3:30 p.m.