SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Keeping the score close in the second half wasn't enough to push Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball (3-20, 4-12 NEC) past Bryant on Saturday, snapping a six-game winning streak for the Knights over the Bulldogs. Believed to be the most combined points scored in an NEC game this season, FDU fell 105-93 in Smithfield.

How it Happened

• Despite not leading, the Knights tied the game up once though Bryant held the edge from the jump getting ahead by as many as 27 points late in the second half.
• FDU's offense heated up late in the game with rookies Oscar Berry and Ray Ford Jr. fueling a 5-0 scoring run for the final 1:24 of game play to chip away at the late lead.
• One of three Knights to score in double-digits, freshman Ibrahim Wattara paced the Burgundy and Blue with 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting. He was one of four in blue to record at least one steal.
• Reigning NEC Rookie of the Week Anquan Hill got the jump done on the glass, logging a team-high seven rebounds while also leading the Knights in minutes played with 27.

Inside the Box Score 

• FDU head coach Greg Herenda is now 6-1 against the Bulldogs since Jared Grasso took the reigns of Bryant.
• FDU shot an even 50 percent from deep in the first half (5-for-10
• Berry dished out four assists tying a personal-best.
• FDU's 45 boards were the most in a game this season. 

Coach Herenda's Thoughts

"Bryant is very hard team to guard and we proved that today. They have a ton of talented offensive players and in that building they are a handful. Again, we played well in pockets but need to find a way to put an entire 40 minutes together. It was good to see Devon Dunn get it going today and Ib [Ibrahim Wattara] really scored the ball well. We kept on battling for 40 minutes on the offensive end of the floor but we have to do it on both sides of the ball.  We just have to get some rest and get ready for another very good team on Thursday in Wagner. It's our last regular season home game and we want to give Sal a huge sendoff. It's CBS Sports Network game and it is a huge game going forward for our seeding for the NEC Tournament."

What's Next

FDU returns home for the last of two games remaining this season when the Knights take on league-leading Wagner on Thursday, February 24, at 6 p.m. live on CBS Sports Network. Tickets are on-sale now at FDUKnights.com/Tickets. The Knights' regular season slate concludes on Saturday, February 26, at LIU at 2 p.m. live on NEC Front Row.

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