BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – A strong third quarter offensively and key defensive stops down the stretched earned Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball its first Northeast Conference win of the season Thursday night, 62-57 at St. Francis Brooklyn.
 
The Knights (4-8, 1-0 NEC) closed the first half on a 6-0 run to go up by three at halftime and continued the hot stretch on offense in the third period, outscoring the Terriers (4-8, 0-1 NEC) 19-11 in the third period. FDU then closed out the game with four big stops in the final two minutes while making six critical free throws to clinch the NEC win.
 
"It feels awesome," said head coach Angelika Szumilo on earning the victory in her first NEC game as a head coach. "We had two really good practices leading up to today and our team was really focused and it showed, especially on the defensive end. [St. Francis] averages 66 points and we held them to 57, held them to five transition points and four threes which was huge because their strength is shooting."
 
Senior Lauren Francillon led the Knights with 17 points, making 7-of-10 shots from the floor, while grabbing six rebounds and three blocks. Sophomore Lindsey Mack made five threes to finish with 15 points, and sophomore Rachael Niles added nine points with five rebounds and five assists. Junior Madison Stanley contributed nine points and five rebounds with four assists, and freshman Maria Roters led FDU with seven rebounds to go with seven points.
 
"They've been working really hard," Szumilo said. "Lindsey is playing better and better, and I think this was the best she's played on defense. She's just continuing to get better."
 
Mack started the game making her first two three-pointers in helping the Knights start with an 8-2 lead. The Terriers netted the next six points to tie the game before Francillon made her first basket to give FDU the lead back. The senior also scored the next two Knights baskets to help match the Terriers, who took a 17-14 lead after the first period.
 
Another Mack three tied the game back at 17 to start the second period, and the Knights built a lead up to five after a Francillon turnaround jumper and Mack's fourth three, giving her a 4-for-4 start to the night from beyond the arc. St. Francis then made a run to go up by three, 25-22, but Francillon then finished out the period making three straight layups to give FDU a 28-25 lead at halftime.
 
Senior Courtney Blankenship opened the second half with a driving layup, and threes from Stanley, Mack and Niles helped FDU go on a 11-0 run over the next four minutes to build a 14-point margin. A Niles floater later closed the third period with the Knights ahead 47-36.
 
FDU added to their lead, growing it to as high as 12 on a Roters three to start the fourth period, but the Terriers fought back to get within four points, 56-52, with two minutes to go. After a FDU miss, the Knights forced a St. Francis miss on a contested three with Blankenship drawing the rebound.
 
Two Niles free throws put FDU back up by six, but the Terriers answered with a layup. Niles continued to sink free throws with two more to make it 60-54 before a three from St. Francis made it a three-point game with 44 seconds left. FDU, however, did not allow any more points and held off a three-point attempt with 10 seconds left, with Niles securing the rebound and Roters sinking two big free throws to help secure the win.
 
FDU shot 40 percent from the field and 32 percent from three while making 10-of-12 free throws. The Knights outrebounded the Terriers, 37-34, and dished out 14 assists in the game while holding the Terriers to just 35 percent from the floor and 4-of-15 from beyond the arc (26.7 percent), both below St. Francis' season averages.
 
The Knights next play their first NEC home contest of the season on Saturday, taking on the Bryant Bulldogs at 1 p.m. in the Rothman Center. Tickets for the game can be purchased in advance online at fduknights.com/tickets.