HACKENSACK, N.J. - FDU men's basketball held a double-digit lead before Central Connecticut closed in on the Knights en route to a 77-73 victory that came down to the final seconds Saturday inside Stratis Arena. With 12:04 to play in the second half, graduate student guard Grant Singleton notched his 1,500th career point off a three assisted by sophomore forward Ansley Almonor. Singleton attained the milestone one week after his longtime teammate, fellow fifth-year Demetre Roberts, hit the 2,000-point threshold against Wagner.

Scoring 10 unanswered points early in the first half, FDU's backcourt got the job done in the infant minutes of the game with Roberts and Singleton combining for eight points with no turnovers in the stretch. Junior Sean Moore contributed a pair of points as the trio went 4-for-5 in 2:23, the Blue Devils 0-for-2 during that time.

FDU opened the lead to double figures before Central Connecticut used their second timeout to force the media break with Almonor hitting his first of five field goals on the evening to move the needle and give the Burgundy and Blue a 15-4 lead with 12:01 to play in the opening period. Coming out of the break, CCSU answered back with a pair of buckets before Singleton's second three of the night. The Sumter, S.C. native would finish with a game-best four triples on 19 points, behind only Roberts' 21 for the game-high.

Off to the foul line seven times more than FDU in the first, the Blue Devils would close-in on the Knights' advantage shooting 66.7 percent from the field as the visitors trailed by two, 34-32, looking to force a split of the season series.

Coming out of the halftime break, Central Connecticut leveled the score followed Andre Snoddy's two made free throws, though Roberts would answer back with a pair of his own as the NEC rivals traded leads in the final minutes of the televised battle. A three by Joe Ostrowsky gave CCSU a one-point lead halfway through; that lead would short-lived as Ostrowsky would foul Singleton sending the Knights' top foul shooter to the line. Shooting 92.6 percent from the charity stripe this season, Singleton hit both to shift the lead back to FDU.

Tobin Anderson's Knights were in foul trouble for most of the contest and Roberts was whistled for five fouls with five seconds to play. Andre Snoddy would push CCSU over the top for the last lead of the game, the eventual game-winner as FDU couldn't catch up.

Both teams scored an even five points in the final 18 seconds of the game.

The Knights now hit the road for three of their last four regular season games, beginning with a Thursday night tilt at Sacred Heart at 7 p.m. on February 16. FDU returns to the friendly confines of the Rothman Center on February 25 against St. Francis Brooklyn for Senior Day.

The 2022-23 men's basketball season is presented by Bogota Savings Bank.