PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team fought to a halftime draw but was unable to knock off Providence, falling 79-67 at Alumni Hall on Saturday afternoon.
Senior forward
Elyjah Williams finished with 15 points for the Knights (0-4) while also adding a team-high eight rebounds and contributing three assists. Senior guard
Jahlil Jenkins added 13 points and a team leading four assists.
Junior guard David Duke paced the Friars (3-2) with a game-high 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting and eight rebounds.
Coach Herenda's Thoughts
Postgame Press Conference
"What can I say – this team continues to get better every day. It has been 10 days since our opener and it seems like a lifetime ago. We have played some very good teams and this group continues to answer the challenge but getting over the top and winning will come."
"We held them to 31 points in the first half but the combination of Duke and Watson was just too much. I thought we left a bunch of points out there but our offense was balanced and we had four players in double figures."
"Now we jump right into our conference play on Tuesday night and everyone is now 0-0. With only four teams making the NEC Tournament, every game is so valuable. We are looking forward to getting home and getting some rest and starting out quest for another NEC Championship."
How It Happened
- A dunk in the closing seconds of the first half by freshman forward Pier-Olivier Racine sent the Knights to the locker room tied at 31.
- The Knights' first lead of the afternoon came 7:11 into the contest when sophomore Callum Baker connected on a layup.
- In a first half that saw the two sides trade baskets, the Burgundy and Blue held the Friars scoreless for the final 1:47 of the period.
- A 9-2 scoring run out of the break by the host Friars opened up a seven-point lead before the Knights clawed back to within three, 40-37 after a jumper by Williams with 16:38 to go.
- The Friars took control from that point on, eventually stretching the lead to as many as 15 points.
Inside the Box Score
- The Knights shot 42.1 percent overall, 70 percent from the line (14-of-20) and 26.3 percent from behind the arc (5-of-19).
- Williams recorded the first six points for the Knights.
- 24 of the Knights' 31 first half points came off field goals with the Burgundy and Blue shooting an even 48 percent in the stanza.
- Four Knights scored in double figures for the second time this season. The team accomplished this feat 14 times last season.
- With his 13 points today, Jenkins moved to 33rd nationally among active players in career points.
- Baker nabbed a career-high four steals in the loss as the Knights tallied 10 as a team for the second time this season (Rutgers).
- The Knights were hampered by 15 miscues on the afternoon which resulted in 26 points for the home team.
- The Knights held the Friars to 1-of-15 (6.7%) from three-point range in the contest.
Next Up
The Knights host Central Connecticut State on Tuesday, December 8, in their first conference game of the season and their 2020-21 home opener. Tip-off inside the Rothman Center is set for 7:00 p.m. on NEC Front Row. As a reminder, fans are not permitted at home basketball contests during the 2020-21 season.
