HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team (6-4, 2-3 NEC) recorded their first win of 2021 with a 60-48 conference win over Merrimack (0-1, 0-1 NEC) on Saturday night at the Rothman Center led by three double-digit scorers. The win over Merrimack is the first in program history.

Senior Madison Stanley led FDU with 16 points and was 7-13 from the floor. Stanley also dished out a team-high four assists and grabbed six rebounds. Sophomore Maria Roters netted a season-high 15 points on 7-12 from the field and pulled down a season-high in rebounds with eight. Fellow sophomore Sierra DeAngelo also scored in double-figures with 12 points on 5-11 shooting.

Coach Szumilo's Thoughts
"It definitely feels great to get this win," stated Coach Szumilo following the win. "We knew this was going to be a tough battle even though this was their first game of the season. I'm sure they will make adjustments and we have to make our adjustments, the mentally tougher team will win tomorrow."

When asked about the transition from the third to fourth quarter Szumilo stated, "We talked about keeping our focus on the defensive end and we knew that eventually some of our shots would go in, but we kept talking about getting stops and not letting what happens on offense impact what we do on the defensive end." 

Coach Szumilo Full Press Conference

How it Happened

• Roters and Stanley combined to score 12 of the team's first 16 points in a fast-paced first quarter in which FDU led 16-15 and ended the frame on a 6-0 run that was sparked by a Stanley jumper from the wing.
• Stanley continued to have the hot hand early in the second as she scored the frame's first four points to push the lead to five, but Merrimack got it to a one-point deficit with 1:15 left, but freshman Abby Conklin connected on a three from the left wing as FDU took a 32-27 lead into the half.
• At the beginning of the third quarter, Roters connected on a jumper that extended the lead to seven points, but Merrimack then scored 10 unanswered points to take a three-point advantage with 3:55 to go in the frame.
• Roters ended the Merrimack run with a three from the left wing and Conklin connected on a layup to take a two-point lead, but the Warriors netted the final three points of the quarter, including a layup at the buzzer by Autumn Truesdale to give Merrimack a 42-41 advantage into the final stanza.
• With the game tied at 44-44, FDU went on a 7-0 run that consisted of a pair of free throws from DeAngelo, a Stanley three-pointer, and a scoop layup from junior Madeline Selvaggi as FDU held a 51-44 lead with 5:21 to go.
• Over the final 5:21 of the game, FDU held Merrimack to only four points and the Warriors only registered six in the fourth as FDU recorded a 60-48 win as DeAngelo scored six points and Conklin connected on a three for the final nine points. 

Inside the Box Score

• FDU shot 40 percent from the floor and connected on 26 shots.
• The Knights outrebounded Merrimack by a 44 to 37 margin.
• FDU forced 16 turnovers and dished out 13 assists.
• 36 of FDU's 60 points came in the paint.
• Selvaggi pulled down a career-high nine rebounds and scored five points.
• Diamond Cristian led Merrimack with 16 points.

What's Next
FDU will conclude the two-game series against Merrimack tomorrow at 4 p.m. from inside the Rothman Center.