FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Playing their first game in 15 days, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team (1-11, 2-3 NEC) battled the Sacred Heart Pioneers Saturday but came up short, falling to the home side 77-71.

How it Happened 

• It was anyone's ballgame from the opening tip with four lead changes and just one tied score over the 40-minute contest.
• Sophomore John Square Jr. paced the Knights with 18 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and steal. The St. John's College (H.S.) product shot 8-for-12 from the field in 29 minutes on the floor. Square finished the game shooting 4-for-5 in his final five attempts on the hardwood at the William H. Pitt Center.
• Down seven at the break, Greg Herenda's squad was never out of it as the team grabbed a four-point lead (largest of the game for FDU) before the under-12 media timeout in the first.

Inside the Box Score 

• FDU shot 9-for-13 from the free throw stripe in the second half, good for a .692 mark.
• The Knights' 24 field goal attempts are their most in a game this season (tied 11/28/21 Princeton).

Coach Herenda's Thoughts

 "It was a really tough day for us offensively and you have to give credit to Sacred Heart defensively. They made it difficult to get into a flow offensively and that continued throughout the game. I thought we guarded well as a team but Thomas, Clarke and Gillette made a ton of very difficult shots in one-on-one situations. Our guys played very hard but our execution and our ability to finish plays on both ends of the floor. Now we turn around and head to Staten Island on Monday and face a really tough Wagner team. Eventually we will find our back way to the Rothman but we have one more huge test until then."

What's Next

As Herenda mentioned, the Burgundy and Blue travel to Wagner at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 17, as part of the Northeast Conference's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day showcase. Fans can catch the action from the Spiro Sports Center in Staten Island, N.Y. live on NEC Front Row.

The 2021-22 men's basketball season is presented by Bogota Savings Bank.