ERIE, Pa.  – FDU (11-21, 8-10) fell in the opening round of the NEC tournament by a score of 70-61 at Mercyhurst (16-16, 10-8) on Wednesday night. The Knights erased a 13-point second half deficit and knotted the game at 57-57 but could complete the comeback.

The Knights trailed 35–28 at halftime and struggled to find consistent offense, shooting 38.9% from the field and just 21.7% from three. Still, several timely baskets—especially early threes from David Jevtic and Joey Niesman—kept the game within reach even as Mercyhurst maintained control.

In the second half, FDU mounted a strong push that cut a once‑double‑digit deficit all the way down to two at 57–55 with just over six minutes remaining, completing a 13‑point climb back into contention. Key buckets from Niesman, inside scoring from Cyril Martynov, and persistent rebounding from Taeshaud Jackson fueled the surge as the Knights tied the game at 57-57. Despite knotting it up, the Knights couldn't pull ahead, as Mercyhurst closed on a steady scoring stretch while FDU went cold from deep and committed several late turnovers.
 

COUNTING THE CAVALRY

• Arthur Cox scored 15 points to pace the Knights
• Joey Niesman finished 12 points and played 39 minutes
• Cyril Martynov tallied 11 points and five rebounds
• FDU scored 30 of their 61 points in the paint
• The Knights produced five steals

This concludes the 2025-26 FDU men's basketball season. Read Full Article