HACKENSACK, N.J. – A slow start proved to be too difficult for the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball to overcome on Thursday night as they fell 57-53 to first-place Merrimack at Stratis Arena.
The Knights had success from three-point range making 9-of-18, however, they committed 17 miscues and shot 35.7 percent overall in the loss. After a 22.7 percent field goal effort in the first half, the Burgundy and Blue hit 50 percent in the second.
Redshirt junior
Xzavier Malone-Key scored 13 points to top the Knights' scoresheet, while senior forward
Kaleb Bishop scored 11 with seven boards and junior guard
Jahlil Jenkins tallied seven points, five rebounds and four assists. Malone-Key's team-high point total came on a 4-of-7 shooting performance, which include a trio of 3-pointers.
For the Warriors (16-8, 10-1 NEC), who won for the ninth time in a row, Idris Joyner scored 16 points and Devin Jensen added 15 on five 3-pointers. Juvaris Hayes set up the offense all night for his team and racked up 10 assists in the win. The visitors shot 41.2 percent overall and out-rebounded the Knights (6-16, 4-7 NEC) 35-28.
After the loss, head coach
Greg Herenda said, "When I was a young boy heading off to Merrimack College, I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined that I would wind up being a Division I basketball coach in the state of New Jersey and coaching against my alma mater in a game on ESPN. I love my team but tonight I am also proud of the guys that wore my uniform."
"Both teams played their hearts out but we just could not make the plays necessary to win. Juvaris Hayes dominated that game and showed why he is the best guard in the NEC. We had the lead late in our building and lost Jensen twice and that turned the entire game around for both teams."
A cold-shooting first half saw the Knights convert just 5-of-22 (22.7 percent) from the field as they trailed 26-21 at the break.
The Warriors opened the second half with an 8-2 run and established their first double-digit lead, 34-24, before Bishop answered with a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
The Knights continued to trail until 7:16 to go when reigning NEC Rookie of the Week,
Devon Dunn buried a game-tying 3-pointer. Dunn's trifecta followed a raucous throwdown by Malone-Key. The freshman guard Dunn finished with nine points by hitting 3-of-5 behind the arc.
Less than two minutes later, the Burgundy and Blue captured the lead, 48-45, when
Brandon Powell knocked down a long 3-pointer, which forced a Merrimack timeout. Powell's streak of double-digit scoring performances was capped at nine as he finished with eight points in the loss.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Jensen would put the Warriors back in front and they never trailed again.
A pair of free throw by
Elyjah Williams brought the Knights to within two, 55-53, with 2:41 to go however, the team failed to score again as the Warriors killed the clock and held on for the win.
Herenda concluded, "I just wish we could play again on Saturday but we have a week off and we need to get some rest and get prepared for our last seven games in 16 days."
The Knights cap their three-game homestand next Thursday, February 13 against Wagner.
