HACKENSACK, N.J. – East Texas A&M (3-3) drained ten second half triples en route to a 70-65 victory over FDU (1-5) on Monday afternoon. The game marked the official start of the FDU Basketball Classic Presented in Partnership with The Salvation Army of N.J.

Hundreds of grade school students from local districts packed the Bogota Savings Bank Center on the first official Kids' Day of the season.
 

KNIGHT OF THE KNIGHT

• Cyril Martynov's 15 points are good for his most-ever against a Division I opponent
• Martynov shot 5-6 from the field; he has gone back-to-back games scoring 15 or more points, while shooting over 81%
• The 7'0 center pulled in eight rebounds for FDU
• He is averaging 15.0 points per contest over the last 3 games

GAME STORY

The first-ever matchup between the Lions and Knights offered a stark tale of two halves.

FDU shot 57.1% from the floor led by as many as 17 in the final minute the opening stanza.  Joey Niesman led the team with 11 first-half points as he facilitated an offense that built a 38-24 lead heading into the break. The lead was keyed by a 9-0 spurt that put the Knights ahead by 16 with less than eight minutes remaining. A Niesman three late the half gave them their largest advantage.

East Texas A&M shot just 29.1% from the field and went 3-13 from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Lions came out of the second half and lit their cold start on fire. They converted 10 of their first 12 triples, shot 61.5% from the field, and scored 46 points to fuel their comeback in the Monday matinee. A 14-0 run gave them their first lead of the afternoon at 44-43.

FDU seized the lead right back with a three on the next possession, but a 6-1 spurt by their opponent three minutes later erased the Knights' last lead of the day. Two missed threes in the last 20 seconds sealed their fate.

East Texas A&M connected on two free throws for their final points of the game.
 

COUNTING THE CAVALRY

• Joey Niesman finished with a season-best 17 points
  • Niesman also dished out six assists
• Eric Parnell was the third Knight in double-figures at ten points o
  • Parnell leads the team in points per game (11.8)

WHAT'S NEXT

FDU returns for the final game of the FDU Basketball Classic on Wednesday, November 26, at 2 p.m. The Knights will host Army. Mirroring today's coverage the game will air on the YES Network and Gotham Sports App, while simulcasting on NEC Front Row.  
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