NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team (2-17, 3-9 NEC) lead wasn't enough to power the Burgundy and Blue through regulation as the side fell in an overtime thriller Saturday at Central Connecticut, 91-82.

How it Happened

• FDU raced out to a 9-5 lead early in the first quarter fueled by freshman Anquan Hill's seven points in the opening stretch and sophomore Joe Munden Jr.'s jumper at 19:01. Hill would go on to finish with a team-high 18 points (tied with junior Brandon Rush) in a Knights-leading 43 minutes of action in the beyond regulation contest.
• Rookie Ansley Almonor from nearby Spring Valley, N.Y. earned his first career start Saturday against the Blue Devils, contributing two points on perfect shooting from the free throw line (2-2) and a steal. The Saint Joseph Regional (Montvale) grad has appeared in 17 games.
• The Burgundy and Blue would hold the lead for 76.7 percent of the contest (34:30) with FDU's largest lead coming towards the tail end of the first half, 38-23 (15 points) with just under two minutes to play.
• Greg Herenda's side finished the game shooting 45.8 percent from the field (27-59)

Inside the Box Score 

• FDU's 82 points were the most in a game this season.
• The Knights went cold in overtime, ending the game on a 9-2 drought for the final 1:38 of the added period.
• Rush set a new single-game season high for the Knights with 11 three-point field goals attempted. The Warrensville, Ohio native would go on to score a team leading 4-11 from downtown.
• Returning home to Hackensack, the Burgundy and Blue have now split the season series with Central Connecticut.

Coach Herenda's Thoughts

"Give Pat [Sellers] and his team all the credit. Our guys played hard we had a good size lead in the first half but we just could not contain their point guard or control the glass when we needed to. I cannot say enough about Anquan Hill. The kid [Hill] plays with so much heart and desire that is hard to believe that he is a freshman. Also, Antoine Jacks was really good today as well but we just never able to stop sensual when we needed to to close out the win. Now we have to go back to work and get ready for two huge games at the Rothman Center. We have six games left and we just have to keep grinding."

What's Next

As Herenda said, FDU returns home on Thursday, February 10, at 7 p.m. when the Knights welcome Saint Francis U (Pa.) in the second game of the season series for Jewish Heritage Night. On Saturday, February 12, the Burgundy and Blue will welcome Sacred Heart as part of Hall of Fame Weekend presented by Marriott Saddle Brook. Tickets for both games are on-sale now at FDUKnights.com/Tickets.

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