HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team (4-5, 0-0 NEC) returned to the court after a 10-day layoff and fell in double overtime 92-88 to Western Kentucky (7-4, 0-0 C-USA) Friday evening inside Stratis Arena.
How it Happened
- The Hilltoppers raced out to a 9-2 advantage over the first 3:51 before FDU embarked on a 13-6 spurt over the next six to pull level.
- With the score tied at 24, FDU outscored WKU 15-7 to enter halftime with a 39-31 lead. Aniya Bell was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor in the first 20 minutes, including 4-for-4 from three.
- FDU opened up a game-high 12-point lead on a free-throw from Dahomee Forgues with 6:41 to go in the third.
- The Knights led by as much as seven with under four minutes to play in regulation and by five with 52 seconds left, but the Hilltoppers forced overtime on a triple by Macey Blevins with 10 seconds left.
- Western Kentucky trailed by three late in the first extra session, but Blevins and Meral Abdelgawad converted from the charity stripe to send the game into a second overtime.
- The teams traded points in the second OT, but the Hilltoppers tallied the final five points of the game to take home the victory.
Inside the Box Score
- Bell had a career-high 27 points while adding nine rebounds. The 27 points were the most in a game since Lauren Francillon had 33 against Mount St. Mary's on March 5, 2020.
- Madison Stanley tallied a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds. The double-double was her first of the season and the seventh of her career.
- Madeline Selvaggi made her season-debut after missing the first eight games of the season. The senior notched seven rebounds and tied for a team-high four assists.
- The game featured nine ties and 12 lead changes.
- Abdelgawad had a game-high 33 points for the Hilltoppers, who outscored FDU 50-28 in the paint.
Coach Szumilo's Thoughts
"Great effort by both teams. What we will learn from this game is that we need to get defensive stops when it counts the most."
What's Next
The Knights' road game against Fordham scheduled for Sunday has been postponed with a rescheduled date to be announced in the future. FDU returns home on Wednesday to finish off non-conference action, hosting Saint Peter's at 12 p.m. as part of a doubleheader. The men's team will also face the Peacocks Wednesday at 3 p.m with both games airing live on NEC Front Row.
