SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team went on a 16-3 run to make a fourth-quarter charge from behind against Bryant but fell short of a comeback bid to fall 55-47 Saturday afternoon.
 
The Knights (10-17, 7-9 NEC) trailed by 18 points at the beginning of the final period before going on a 9-0 run that cut the deficit down to nine. FDU later continued its surge by scoring 10 of the next 15 points, making it 51-47 on a Lauren Francillon free throw with 17.4 seconds left. The Bulldogs (9-18, 7-9), however, sank four free throws in the closing seconds to hold on for the win.
 
"I thought we had a strong fourth quarter," head coach Angelika Szumilo said. "We kept fighting and got stops on defense when we needed to get stops. We had a couple of good opportunities on offense but unfortunately it was really the third quarter and us getting outrebounded plus them getting to the foul line that made the difference in the game."
 
Despite the loss, the Knights did clinch their sixth straight trip to the Northeast Conference Tournament with a loss by St. Francis Brooklyn to Sacred Heart. FDU currently remains in fourth place, tied with Bryant, Sacred Heart and LIU in the tournament standings with two games left to play.
 
"Our goal is to finish strong, and we have two games left, so our goal is to build toward that first playoff game," Szumilo said. "The girls are excited to make it, they worked hard. We're a young team, and those young players are getting a lot of experience that is going to pay off."
 
Francillon spearheaded FDU's late charge with nine of her team-high 13 points in the fourth period. Freshman Sierra DeAngelo also scored in double figures, adding 11 points in 21 minutes off the bench. Sophomore Lindsey Mack dished out a team-high four assists to go with eight poins, and freshman Aniya Bell led FDU with seven rebounds while netting seven points.
 
Bryant had a 48-30 advantage on rebounds and made 20-of-25 free throw attempts, while FDU made four of their five foul shots in the game. The Knights made 19 field goals to Bryant's 17 in the game, and FDU limited the Bulldogs to just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc.
 
Both teams locked down on defense to start the game, with four Bryant free throws proving the difference in a first period that saw both teams only make one field goal apiece. Sophomore Rachael Niles sank FDU's lone basket on a driving layup to help get the Knights going offensively heading into the second quarter, and freshman Celia Carbonell drained a three on FDU's first possession of the second period.
 
After Bryant answered with a three of its own, DeAngelo and Bell garnered FDU's next eight points to keep the road team in striking distance, but the Bulldogs closed the half on a 6-2 run to go into halftime up 23-15.
 
Bryant pulled ahead by double digits to start the third period, but back-to-back threes from Mack and Carbonell brought the game back to within nine points. The Bulldogs then scored eight of the last nine points in the period and sank the first basket of the fourth period, taking a 46-28 lead.
 
FDU began its spirited run with a Bell layup off a DeAngelo assist, and Bell then converted a three-point play the old-fashioned way to make it 46-33 with less than eight minutes to go. After a Carbonell steal, one of four for her in the game, Francillon connected on a jumper before blocking the next Bryant shot on the defensive end, leading to a DeAngelo layup that made it a nine-point game.
 
DeAngelo later answered Bryant's second basket of the fourth quarter with a three to keep the Knights within seven, and she then stole the ball from Bryant on defense to set up Francillon on the other end with a basket that made it 49-44 with 1:39 to go.
 
After two Bryant free throws, Francillon again laid in a key basket that drew a foul, sinking the ensuing free throw to put the Knights down four with 17.4 to go. Bryant continued to make free throws in the closing seconds, however, as the Knights tried two threes in the last few seconds but could not hit as time expired.
 
FDU finished the game shooting 32.8 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from three. The Knights also dished out 12 assists and forced Bryant to commit 18 turnovers compared to the Knights' 14 in the game.
 
The Knights return to New Jersey for their final regular-season home game on Monday at 7 p.m., against the Wagner Seahawks. Tickets for the game can be purchased in advance online at fduknights.com/tickets.