JERSEY CITY, N.J. – FDU's (0-2) second half counterpunch proved to not be enough in a 93-83 loss at Saint Peter's (1-1) on Saturday afternoon. The Knights cut a 20-point deficit down to five, but could not complete the comeback at the Yanitelli Center. 
 

KNIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Taeshaud Jackson was terrific in 32 minutes of action. He collected his first double-double in an FDU uniform with 14 points and 13 rebounds. The versatile big also notched four assists. Jackson's physicality was just too much for the Peacocks to handle as he made nine trips to the free throw line and calmly knocked down seven of them. Through two games this season, the Northern Colorado transfer is averaging 11.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest.
 

GAME FLOW

Both offenses struggled out of the gate with turnovers telling the story. Through the first six minutes, there were just eight total points scored as Saint Peter's held an 8-2 lead. Eric Parnell and Noah Melson then knocked down triples to kick the FDU offense into the gear.

The Peacocks led 31-22 with three minutes left in the half. The Knights then scored seven unanswered points on three straight possessions to cut the deficit to two. However, Saint Peter's owned the final haymaker of the half with a three in the final seconds. This extended their lead back to nine at 38-29 when the halftime buzzer sounded.

Saint Peter's momentum carried into the second half. Less than seven minutes into the period, their lead grew to 60-40. A four-point play from Arthur Cox seemingly settled the Knights down, as they exploded on a 15-2 run to get back into the game. David Jevtic scored five of these points.

FDU would cut the lead to five on two separate occasions but never came any closer. Saint Peter's, who went 17-25 in the second half, used their hot shooting to put the game away. Both teams scored over 50 second half points.
 

COUNTING THE CAVALRY

• Jackson scored eight of his points in the second half
• The Knights were an efficient 14-31 from beyond the arc
• FDU outrebounded Saint Peter's 34-33 and collected 16 second chance points
• Noah Melson dialed in 16 points on 11 shots in his FDU debut
• David Jevtic notched double figures for a second consecutive game with 14 points
• Eric Parnell knocked down four triples en route to a 12-point performance

WHAT'S NEXT

FDU is set to face Texas on Wednesday, November 12, at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the action on SEC Network+. Read Full Article