HACKENSACK, N.J. – FDU women's basketball (21-4, 12-0) picked up a conference victory over Mercyhurst (8-15, 8-4) on Saturday afternoon by a score of 84-64. 

THE STORY

The Knights looked to repeat their 2026 NEC opener, in which they defeated Mercyhurst by a score of 68-46. After the first quarter, the Knights looked like they were in a good spot. FDU led 23-12 after the first frame. The Knights' frontcourt did the heavy lifting in the first quarter. Rebecca Osei-Owusu, Leah Crosby, and Bella Toomey combined for 14 of the Knights 23 points in the frame.

FDU's dominance continued into the second quarter. The Knights went on a 19-2 run across the final five minutes of the first quarter, into the first two minutes of the second. At the halftime break, the Knights held a 39-25 lead over the Lakers. 

The Knights pulled away in the third quarter, out-scoring Mercyhurst 22 to 15 in the frame. With a 21-point lead heading into the final quarter, the Knights were able to cruise to victory across the final ten minutes.

THE STATS

• The Knights were led by Leah Crosby, who had a career night in the win.
  • Crosby scored 17 points, which set a career-high mark.
  • The freshman also grabbed 11 rebounds, tying a career-high.
  • Crosby also recorded three blocks on the defensive end.
  • The freshman's impressive performance came in just 25 minutes of court time. 
• Rebecca Osei-Owusu poured in 14 points and eight rebounds to help out Crosby in the frontcourt.
  • The junior was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field.
• Madlena Gerke scored 16 points on four threes.
  • Gerke also grabbed eight rebounds and dished four assists.
• Bella Toomey also reached double figures, scoring ten points.
  • Toomey reached double digits in perfect fashion, shooting 5-for-5 from the field.
• The Knights' offense was firing on all cylinders, shooting an efficient 54.0% from the field.
• FDU absolutely dominated the glass, out-rebounding Mercyhurst 50 to 20.
• The offensive glass was FDU's friend, as the Knight scored 23 second-chance points in the win.
  • The Knights grabbed a whopping 17 offensive boards in the victory.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Knights will have a week off, before heading to New Britain, Conn. to face CCSU on Saturday, February 14. Tip-off will come at 1 p.m. with coverage available on the YES Network.
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