SYRACUSE, N.Y. - FDU (6-11, 2-0) outlasted Le Moyne (5-12, 0-2) in a 91-86 double overtime victory Friday night in Syracuse. Terrence Brown (25) and Jo'el Emanuel (19) combined for 44 points.
It is Brown's fifth 25-point game of the season. The top ten scorer in the country is now averaging 21.8 points per game. He was a perfect 11-11 at the free throw line. Emanuel's 19 points are a season high. He pulled in six boards.
FDU made their first three attempts from beyond the arc and grabbed an early 11-8 lead. These threes came courtesy of Dylan Jones, who made two, and Emanuel. Despite the hot start from downtown, the rest of the first half was a defensive struggle. The Knights were limited to just over 36% from the field. However, a staunch defensive effort helped them stifle Le Moyne. The Dolphins shot 9-31 and were 0-12 from deep in the first half.
The Knights took a 28-22 lead into the locker room.
The second half had more points, but not for style. The teams shot a combined 41 free throws in the game's second 20 minutes. This hurt FDU, who had to deal with foul trouble. More concerning, it allowed Le Moyne to get into a rhythm.
The Dolphins started knocking down shots and suddenly flipped the script on the Burgundy and Blue. They found themselves ahead 45-39 with 13:14 to play.
On top of Le Moyne's newfound confidence, the Knights were really struggling to shoot it. They ended up 0-11 from beyond the arc in the second half. They needed some girtty baskets and two of their veterans delivered. Emanuel converted a putback layup, and Cameron Tweedy followed it up with five-straight points, including a three-point play. Just like that, the Knights had tied things at 46-46.
With 4:24 to play, Le Moyne climbed back in front 56-50. FDU used key defensive stops to fuel another comeback. The Knights cut the lead to four, but there were under three minutes to play. Bismark Nsiah blocked a Le Moyne shot, and Brown went coast-to-coast for an easy layup. On the next FDU possession, Brown got to the free throw line and knotted the game with two makes.
Both teams had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but neither could find the bottom of the net.
On the first possession of overtime, Nsiah rocked a rim with a putback dunk. Jameel Morris forced a steal on the ensuing inbound, and Jones knocked down his third of four threes on the night. After a layup and free throw from Brown, FDU's lead was 67-60. Le Moyne did not go away. They made two huge threes and eventually clawed their way back. Tied at 73-73 with 30 seconds to play, FDU turned the ball over. The Dolphins' attempt at the buzzer spun out.
Emanuel, Brown and Jones scored on consecutive possessions to start the second overtime. Similarly to the first, the Knights jumped in front 80-75. This time though, they were able to hang onto the lead. Le Moyne did cut it two, but FDU made the free throws needed to secure the win.
A huge piece of this game came in the turnover column. FDU forced Le Moyne into 20 turnovers, while only committing 11 as a team. On top of this, FDU had 16 assists, led by Brown who had five.
WHAT'S NEXT
FDU returns home for the first time since December 7 this Sunday, January 12, to take on Saint Francis U. It will be Tom Green Day at the Bogota Savings Bank Center. Coverage begins at 1 p.m. on NEC Front Row. Tickets are on sale now.
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Bogota Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor of the 2024-2025 FDU men's basketball season
