HACKENSACK, N.J. – Led by Taeshaud Jackson, FDU (5-11, 2-1) defeated Chicago State (2-14, 0-3) 70-63 in their first conference home game of the season. The Knights never trailed in this wire-to-wire victory at the Bogota Savings Bank Center.
 

KNIGHT OF THE KNIGHT

• Taeshaud Jackson finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds
  • It's Jackson's third double-double of the season and his second of conference play
• Jackson shot 5-6 from the field and knocked down a season-high three three-pointers
• The forward made six of his eight free throw attempts
• Jackson is averaging 16.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game through three NEC contests

GAME STORY

FDU began this game with a 7-2 spurt and never looked back. A Joey Niesman three-pointer gave FDU a 13-7 lead heading into the under-12 media timeout. The Knights extended their lead to 14 with an 11-2 run that spanned for just over four minutes. This stretch was highlighted by five points from Niesman and ended with a triple from Jackson. Chicago State cut into the lead in the final minute of the half, but FDU still held a 31-21 lead heading into halftime.
 
The Knights connected on six three-pointers in the first half, led by Niesman who knocked down three.
 
Eric Parnell set the tone for the second half with a three-pointer on FDU's first possession. Lay-ups on back-to-back possessions from Arthur Cox and Jackson secured FDU's largest lead of the night. Just four minutes into the second half, the Knights increased their lead to 43-26.
 
Quick buckets from Chicago State after the under-16 media timeout cut the lead down to ten, however FDU's ability to get to the free throw line kept the Cougars at arm's length. The Knights made 5-7 free throw attempts in the midst of an 8-2 run that helped the lead grow back to 16.
 
The Cougars continued to chip into the Knights' advantage. Timely three-point shooting allowed them to trim the deficit to four with under 30 seconds left, but again, it was FDU's free throw shooting that nullified the Cougars comeback attempt. The Knights made their last four from the charity stripe and left the 'Bogo' with a victory.
 

COUNTING THE CAVALRY

• Niesman (5-9 FG) finished with 18 points in a team-high 36:15 minutes of action
  • The guard is averaging 19.0 points per game in NEC play
• Arthur Cox (3-5 FG) tallied 12 points in his third game back from injury
  • Cox made 5-6 from the line
• The Knights outrebounded Chicago State 39-26
  • 12 of those rebounds came on the offensive end resulting in 10 second-chance points
• FDU shot 25-34 from the charity stripe

WHAT'S NEXT

Up next for the Knights is their first-ever meeting with New Haven. FDU will travel to the home of the Chargers this Saturday, January 10, for a 1 p.m. tipoff in Connecticut. Fans can catch the game on NEC Front Row.
  Read Full Article