HACKENSACK, N.J. - FDU men's basketball hits the home hardwood inside the friendly confines of Stratis Arena for the second time in three games as the Knights (3-1, 0-0 NEC) welcome Penn State Schuylkill (1-3, 0-0 PSUAC) on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. ET. Saturday's game against the Nittany Lions will air live on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run app.
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FDU enters Saturday's game fresh-off a thrilling one-point victory in the YES Network-televised Battle of Bracket Busters between the Knights and 2022 NCAA tournament Cinderella Saint Peter's on Wednesday, Nov. 15. In front of a sellout crowd inside Stratis Arena, FDU had a nine-point advantage over the Peacocks at the break as the Knights' shot 52 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Junior forward
Ansley Almonor (Spring Valley, N.Y./St. Joseph's Regional [Mont.]) returned to form as the reigning NEC Most Improved Player led all scorers with 21 points. The Spring Valley, N.Y. product record three boards on the defensive end and dished two assists with recording a blocked shot. He made all three of his free throws and sunk a quartet of triples.
The hero of the night was DeVante Jamison who hit the game-winning free throws with 2.3 seconds to play to give the Knights a 71-70 victory. "Bullet" picked up 11 points and five rebounds and scored a trio of clutch buckets to fuel the Knights' win. Saint Peter's took a quick lead down the stretch after both teams had extended scoreless stretches but the STAC transfer's speed was just what FDU needed to seal their second home win of the campaign.
Jack Castleberry's team finished with three players in double-figure scoring with Almonor and Jamison joined by week one Northeast Conference Player of the Week Jo'el Emanuel's 16 points.
"You start thinking about momentum and you starting thinking about execution down the stretch," said Castleberry after the win. "There were certainly things we need to do a lot better, but it's nice when you get a 'W' while you're learning. It was an incredible environment; who wouldn't want to play at FDU when you're watching that on YES Network or when you're in the arena and get to be a part of that. You can feel the emotion throughout the building. FDU is a special place and the community is unbelievable and we've got a great thing going here."
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Penn State Schuylkill makes their first-ever trip to Hackensack on Saturday as the 1-3 Nittany Lions play the lone NCAA Division I on their 2023-24 schedule. PSU Schuylkill is the second Penn State Commonwealth Campus on FDU's slate as the Knights defeated PSU Brandywine in the home opener on Nov. 8. Winning on Nov. 15 at home against Clarks Summit in a 30-point victory, the Nittany Lions have one more test before Saturday's matchup against the Knights when they play Mansfield on Friday, Nov. 17 at 8 p.m. ET. Including the visit to FDU, Schuylkill takes part in four road games to close-out November.
Wilvens Fleurizard leads the Nittany Lions, averaging 15.0 points per night on 51.2 percent shooting from the field.
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This is the first all-time meeting between FDU and Penn State Schulykill. FDU is 1-0 against PSU Commonwealth Conferences after defeating Brandywine 107-63 on 11/8/23.
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- FDU would start 3-0 at home for the second-straight season... third time since 2017-18 season
- First 4-1 start since 2002-03
- After Saturday's game, FDU hits the road for six-straight, including two games in Moon Township, Pa. as part of a multiple-team event (MTE) at Robert Morris.
- Three players (Ansley Almonor, Jo'el Emanuel and DeVante Jamison) scored in double-figures Wednesday against Saint Peter's
FDU's six-game road trip begins on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at Queens (N.C.) at 7 p.m. live on ESPN+. The next home contest comes on Monday, Dec. 11 vs. Columbia at 7 p.m. live on NEC Front Row and streaming on the NEC on the Run app. Tickets are on-sale now at
FDUKnights.com/Tickets.
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@FDUKnightsMBB.
Bogota Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor for the 2023-24 FDU men's basketball season.
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