STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -  FDU (5-11, 1-0) overcame a 13-point deficit en route to a 71-59 win over Wagner (8-7, 0-2) on Sunday afternoon. 28 points from Terrence Brown and a near triple-double from Bismark Nsiah spurred the Knights' comeback.  

FDU, who had to wait about a day and half longer than the rest of the NEC for their conference opener, struggled out of the gate on Staten Island. Wagner started fast and led 17-4 with 10:50 remaining in the first half. From there, it was all Knights.  

The Burgundy and Blue began finding the open lanes and started successfully converting chances at the rim. Brown scored eight of his points in the final nine minutes of the first half and led the Knights back into this game. They would finish the half on a 20-4 run and take a 24-21 lead into halftime.  

Out of the lockeroom, FDU's run continued thanks to a Dylan Jones triple. The Seahawks did their best to stop the momentum and cut the lead to three. However, the Knights responded with a 9-1 run and saw their lead grow to 39-28. Brown accounted for all but two of the points in that spurt.  

FDU held Wagner at arm's length the rest of the way. A sequence including three-pointers from Jones and Brown late in the second half put the Knights ahead by 16 and essentially sealed the game. A layup from Jameel Morris put FDU over the 70-mark for the 14th time this season.  

Brown's 28 points match a career-high for the Minnesota native. The sophomore guard now has four 25-point games this season. His 21.6 points per game scoring average puts him at the top of the Northeast Conference. So far, 28 points are the most scored in an NEC game this season. To top it off, Brown recorded ten rebounds, making this his first-career double-double.  

Speaking of rebounds, Nsiah grabbed a lot of those and more. The graduate student, making his NEC debut, scored 11 points, secured 12 boards, and dished out nine assists. It is his second double-double in an FDU uniform. Jack Castleberry's newest big man continues to make scoring strides too, as he has averaged 9.2ppg over the last five games. 

Nsiah's 12 rebounds contributed greatly to FDU's efforts on the glass in this one. After being outrebounded by two in the first half, the Knights grabbed ten more rebounds than Wagner in the second half. By the end of the game, they won the rebounding battle 44-36.  

In the role of key reserves, Brayden Reynolds and Cameron Tweedy combined for 15 points off the bench. Tweedy provided nine points in 12 minutes, while Reynolds poured in six points in 23 minutes. All but one of these 15 points came in the paint. 

Points in the paint were a big story in this one. FDU scored exactly 50 of them. They held Wagner to 32.  

This marked the third-straight win for the Knights inside the Spiro Sports Center on Staten Island. These teams meet in Hackensack on February 8.  

WHAT'S NEXT 

FDU makes the trip to Syracuse on Friday, January 10, to take on Le Moyne. The Dolphins and Knights tipoff at 7 p.m.  

Follow the Knights on Instagram and X @FDUKnightsMBB   
   
Bogota Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor of the 2024-2025 FDU men's basketball season