HACKENSACK, N.J. – A strong first-half and tough defensive effort throughout propelled the Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team to a 56-47 victory at home over Saint Francis U on Kid's Day.
 
The Knights (5-9, 2-1 NEC) jumped out to a 10-point lead, 22-12, to start the game and led by 14 at halftime before the Red Flash (4-10, 2-1 NEC) made a run in the third period to cut the lead down to six. The Knights, however, limited Saint Francis to just four points over the final six minutes and freshman Sierra DeAngelo stepped up with nine of FDU's 13 fourth-quarter points in nine minutes off the bench.
 
Sophomore Rachael Niles recorded her first career double-double in the victory, scoring 11 points to go with a career-high 13 rebounds plus three assists. DeAngelo finished the game with 11 points as well, making 4-of-9 shots, while sophomore Lindsey Mack led the Knights with 12 points that included three three-pointers.
 
"We told the team in the locker room this was the best defensive effort we've had all year, and the result shows that" head coach Angelika Szumilo said after the game. "It was definitely a team effort, and I thought everyone was very focused on what they were supposed to do on the defensive end, and it showed. Both of our bigs, Courtney and Lauren, got in foul trouble and Sierra came in and gave us huge minutes on both ends, making big shots down the stretch."
 
The Knights played the game in front of a crowd of over 400 children from Whittier Elementary School that filled the Rothman Center stands.
 
"It was a great environment," Szumilo said. "Our players really fed off their excitement and played with passion and energy today. We appreciate them coming out to support the Knights and seeing us get this big win."
 
Junior Madison Stanley added nine point and four rebounds to go with four assists, making all six of her free throw attempts in the game. Freshman Maria Roters also dished out four helpers and grabbed seven rebounds to go with six points.
 
The three-point shot sparked the Knights early in the game, with Mack making her first attempt from the floor later followed by Niles and senior Courtney Blankenship to help FDU jump out to a 11-5 lead in the first five minutes. Mack made two more threes in the period and freshman Jayde Boyd also drained her only three-point attempt of the game as FDU claimed a 22-12 advantage after one period.
 
DeAngelo started the second period with her first basket of the game as FDU stretched its lead to as high as 17 points on a Roters layup. FDU's defense held the Red Flash without a point for the first seven minutes of the second quarter, forcing Red Flash four turnovers in that stretch, and the Knights entered halftime up 34-20.
 
After the Knights scored the first four points of the second half on a three by Stanley and a Blankenship free throw, the Red Flash countered with a 13-0 run to cut the margin down to three, 38-35. Two possessions later, Mack drove for a jumper and drew a foul on the made shot for the traditional three-point play to put FDU back ahead by six.
 
The Knights carried their six-point lead into the fourth period, when DeAngelo stepped up big by scoring FDU's first nine points in the quarter to help match Saint Francis through the first 8:30 of the period. Niles then drained a huge three-pointer with 35 seconds to go, stretching FDU's lead back up to double-digits to help ice the game.
 
Ten of FDU's 16 field-goals in the game were three-pointers, and the Knights made a season-high 14-of-17 free throws (82.4 percent). The Knights also had the advantage on the boards, 35-34, and won the turnover battle by committing only eight to SFU's 12. FDU also dished out 14 assists as a team and blocked five shots while holding the Red Flash to just 4-of-20 from three.
 
The win over Saint Francis snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Knights against their NEC rival, last defeating the Red Flash at home in 2016 (73-72). The 2-1 start in NEC is FDU's best since also going 2-1 to start the 2012-13 season.
 
The Knights go on the road for their next game, traveling to Brooklyn to take on the LIU Sharks at 2 p.m., on Saturday, January 11, before returning home for a matchup with Sacred Heart on Monday, January 13, at 7 p.m., aired on SNY. Tickets for the home game Monday are available to purchase in advance online at fduknights.com/tickets.