NEWARK, N.J. – FDU (0-4) fell in an all-New Jersey clash at NJIT (3-1) by a score of 93-81 on Saturday afternoon in Newark. It marked the final game of a four-game road trip to open the season for FDU.
Eric Parnell continued his hot streak from deep with five made threes (5-10 3PT) en route to an 18-point performance. The senior has made 16 threes this season, with at least three made in each of FDU's first four games. He finished just one-point shy of matching his career high.
Fresh off a 14-point performance at Texas,
Cyril Martynov got FDU going with the first four Knights' points of the game. Both teams took some time to settle in offensively though, as NJIT led 10-6 at the first media timeout.
FDU's offensive struggles continued through the middle portion of the period. They missed their first six threes, before
Eric Parnell dialed one in from the corner to break the ice. What followed was a four-minute scoreless stretch which allowed NJIT to build a 23-11 lead.
Trailing 31-16, FDU needed a spark. It came in the form of five-straight points from
Arthur Cox. This turned the tide on both ends of the floor as FDU began to hit shots, control the boards, and lock down the Highlanders' offense. The Knights finished the half on a 15-4 run and trailed 35-31 at the break.
Raysean Johnson and
Elijah Godbolt provided valuable minutes off the bench in the first half. Both guards played a crucial role in FDU's improved defense, and Johnson tallied five points.
NJIT opened the second half on a 15-0 run and very quickly held a 20-point lead. Ignited by two threes from Parnell, FDU responded with a 10-3 run to cut the deficit down to 13 at 56-43.
The Knights continued to speed up the game, which helped their scoring effort, but in turn hurt their transition defense. The teams traded buckets for the next seven minutes as the NJIT lead held at 13.
NJIT stretched their lead back to as many 17 for a brief period, but the Knights continued to swing. Parnell hit three free throws and then drilled a three-pointer to get FDU back within 11 at 68-57.
The Highlanders scored then posted five unanswered and put the game away.
- Noah Melson scored 14 points on 15 shots
- Cox posted 17 points (10-12 FT) and corralled six rebounds
- Raysean Johnson played a career high 22 minutes and scored nine points
- FDU recorded 16 offensive rebounds
- NJIT scored 23 points in transition
- The Knights made just 12 threes on 42 attempts from deep
The 2025 FDU home opener comes next week as the Knights play host to Saint Elizabeth on Tuesday, November 18. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will air on NEC Front Row.
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Bogota Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor of FDU Men's Basketball
