HACKENSACK, N.J. - In dramatic fashion the FDU men's basketball team (6-6, 0-0 NEC) clawed back to .500 Sunday with a two-point win over NJIT (1-9, 0-0 America East) as FDU bested the Highlanders 73-71 for the Knights' first win over their North Jersey foe since the inaugural series meeting in 1986 before NJIT made the transition to Division I athletics.
FDU possessed a game-high lead of eight points at the six-minute mark in the opening period, though the Knights would find themselves down at the break. The longball saved the Knights from a deeper hole as the Burgundy and Blue shot 41.7 percent from behind the arch (5-for-12) while shooting just 27.6 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes. Each side had an even 69 possessions in the first half while FDU's sophomore forward
Ansley Almonor made the most of his seven field goal attempts in the first, pouring in a game-best eight points in 12 minutes after making his 11th start of the season in as many games.
En route to securing head coach
Tobin Anderson's 400th career victory (six at FDU), FDU turned up the heat in the second half before junior
Sean Moore tipped-in a long missed jumper by graduate student guard
Demetre Roberts to win the game for FDU with 1.6 seconds to go, much to the dismay of the Highlanders' head coach Brian Kennedy. The heroics by Moore, who finished with eight points, pushed the Knights to 4-1 in their last five regular season games inside Stratis Arena - talk about home cooking.
Roberts dazzled despite being whistled for four fouls leading the pack with 15 points and five boards. The Mount Vernon, N.Y. native shot 72.7 percent from the free throw line (8-for-11) to put FDU back in the hunt, drawing a key player control foul called against NJIT in the first half to give FDU the ball down the stretch.
Back on the road on Tuesday, December 13 for their third game of the season against an A-10 opponent, FDU heads to Richmond to face the Spiders at 7 p.m. live on MASN and ESPN+.
The 2022-23 men's basketball season is presented by
Bogota Savings Bank.
