HACKENSACK, N.J. - In the midst a two-game skid in Northeast Conference action, FDU men's basketball looked to turn the page Thursday when the Knights, now 13-10 (6-2 NEC) welcomed in Saint Francis U (Pa.) for the first of two meetings this season between the pair of charter NEC members. After falling in the series finale last season, the Knights got their revenge with an 87-82 win powered by junior guard
Joe Munden Jr.'s stellar performance to push FDU to first place by half a game.
Junior
Sébastien Lamaute came out of the gate racing down the court with all five of the first points scored in the game including a three-pointer nearly two minutes in to push FDU up 5-0 on the Red Flash (8-12, 5-2 NEC). Sandwiched between threes raining down from SFU's Josh Cohen, freshman
Jo'el Emanuel and
Ansley Almonor bagged triples of their own as the Burgundy and Blue and Red Flash traded leads midway through the opening half.
Down no more than two points at any time during the game, FDU continued to press forcing 19 SFU turnovers. The Red Flash were held to just one three-pointer in the first half in 13 attempts.
Munden Jr. would heat things up coming out of the halftime break with six points on 2-of-4 shooting in the opening minutes of the half. The Harlem, N.Y. finished with a career-high 21 points on a Knights-best seven field goals with all 21 of the third-year's points coming in the final 20 minutes of play. Broadway Joe's double-double (10 rebounds) is the first for a Knight since the matchup against LIU on January 7.
One of three Knights to score in double-figures, Munden Jr. was joined by graduate student guard
Demetre Roberts who poured-in 19 points, followed by fellow fifth-year
Grant Singleton's 14.
"Really good college basketball game both ways. Both teams played well and hard," said
Tobin Anderson. "I thought
Cameron Tweedy was strong down the stretch. We lost the last two at home and we needed to come back and protect home court and we did that tonight.
"
Joe Munden Jr. is a high-energy player, he makes plays and we let him play through mistakes," Anderson continued. "He makes plays. I thought he was terrific. It was a great effort all around."
Hitting the road again to close the regular season series with Merrimack, FDU faces the Warriors on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. on ESPN3 from North Andover, Mass.
The 2022-23 men's basketball season is presented by
Bogota Savings Bank.
