HACKENSACK, N.J. - After falling to the Saint Francis U (Pa.) Red Flash 78-65 Thursday, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball (2-18, 3-10 NEC) split the season series with the side from Loretto, Pa.

How it Happened

• Anquan Hill did the gritty work helping chip away at SFU's early lead which seemed to only grow in the early going. 'Quan finished with a team-high 16 points on .500 shooting from the field (7-for-14). The mainstay on the court for Greg Herenda's squad, Hill totaled 34 minutes of action recording eight boards and three assists, with the Philadelphia, Pa. native leading the side in both categories.
• Newcomer Ansley Almonor came off the bench, starting the second half where the rookie from Spring Valley, N.Y. showed great promise. Almonor tallied 12 points in 19 minutes on the floor for the Burgundy and Blue. The St. Joseph Regional (Mont.) grad posted a perfect mark from deep, shooting 4-for-4 for all of his points. The freshman who also played at Out Savior Lutheran, dished out two dimes and logged a Knights-leading two blocks.
• Saint Francis U (Pa.) never took their foot off the peddle with the road side holding the lead for 95 percent of the game, with the Red Flash's largest being 21 points with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation. FDU would get within nine late in the second half.

Inside the Box Score 

• The Knights' attempted comeback came too late though the side did finish regulation on a 5-0 scoring run.
• Almonor went 4-for-5 in his final five attempts on the floor, including the perfect 4-for-4 from three-point field goal range.
• Sophomore John Square Jr. set a new season-high for FDU in steals, booking four.

Coach Herenda's Thoughts

 "Give Saint Francis a ton of credit. They just played a great game from the opening tip to the buzzer. It's crazy how we always play well out there and they do the same here. Early in the game they made every open shot and we did not; that separation was the difference in the game. Again, it is hard to say enough good things about Anquan [Hill] and then Ansley [Almonor] came in and jump-started us in the second half. Now we have a quick turnaround and we need to get ready for Saturday at 1 p.m. Hopefully we will have another good crowd and get things turned around."

What's Next

Following tomorrow's (2/11) Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, FDU will welcome Sacred Heart in the final game of the season series on Saturday, February 12, at 1 p.m. live on NEC Front Row from Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center. Prior to the game, the new Michael and Denise Clarke Strength and Conditioning Center will be officially opened and at halftime, the 2022 FDU Hall of Fame class will be celebrated on the floor. Tickets for Saturday's game are on-sale now at FDUKnights.com/Tickets.

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