Loretto, Pa. – In a back-and-forth classic NEC Quarterfinal that saw eight lead changes and four ties, the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (13-17) threw the last punch, defeating the Saint Francis men’s basketball team (18-12) 84-75 in front of raucous DeGol Arena.

Krimmel’s Reaction

First of all, hats off to Gregg [Herenda], his staff and his team for a well-played game,” said head coach Rob Krimmel. “I thought for 40 minutes, our guys competed, but there were some stretches that I thought his guys took advantage of some loose balls and some second shot opportunities on the offensive glass. These guys have a lot to be proud of. We have two all-conference guys and The Most Improved Player. Scott Meredith (Pilot Mountain, N.C./Hargrave Military Academy (Va.)) is an Academic All-District kid. We’ll have a chance to reflect on where we were, but 18 wins and putting ourselves in a position to host a playoff game for the second straight year is a step forward. After challenging these guys, they dealt with expectations in a classy way.

Turning Point

When junior Jamaal King (Salisbury, Md./Bishop O’Connell (Va.))’s layup went through the net at 9:47 of the second half, SFU trailed by just one, 61-60. The Knight followed with a pivotal 9-0 run to increase its lead to 69-60 with 6:53 remaining. SFU fought back like champions, using a 12-0 run to go back in front 72-69 with 3:49 to go. King gave SFU the lead with a deep three followed by a steal and layup from sophomore Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./The Lawrenceville School). FDU missed its first two shots out of the timeout but secured both rebounds and found Darnell Edge in the corner for a three to tie the game with 2:55. Noah Morgan put the Knights in front on their next possession and the lead increased to five on a Jahlil Jenkins three with 1:46 to play. King gave SFU life with another three and SFU forced a travel on the next possession. However, King turned it over with SFU trailing 77-75 with 21 seconds remaining and FDU sank both free throws to make it a two-possession game.

Inside the Box Score

• SFU made 27-of-56 (48.2%) field goals while FDU converted 31-of-64 (48.4%).
• Saint Francis hit 7-of-18 three-pointers to 9-of-21 (42.9%) for the Knights.
• The Red Flash were 14-of-18 (77.8%) from the foul line while FDU was 13-of-19 (68.4%).
• The key to the game was FDU’s dominance on the glass. The Knights pulled down 18 offensive rebounds, 13 in the second half, to win the battle of the boards 37-29. 
• Turnovers were 10 apiece but SFU committed three in its last seven possessions.
• Points in the paint tilted slightly in FDU’s favor, 36-34, but second chance points were 23-14.
• Saint Francis was effective in transition, outscoring the Knights 15-4 on the fastbreak. 

Notes

• Braxton led the way with his 15th double-double of the season, finishing with 24 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals.
• King finished with 17 points and five assists.
• Junior Andre Wolford (Willowick, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) and sophomore Randall Gaskins Jr., chipped in with 11 points apiece.
• SFU’s 18 wins this season were the most since 1990-91.
• King will enter his senior season just 10 points shy of 1,000 for his career while Braxton needs just 35 to join the 1,000-point club.
• The loss ended a five-game win streak, SFU’s longest since 2010-11.
• Saint Francis failed to reach the NEC Semifinals for just the second time in the last five years.
• King’s 548 points this season were the 15th most in program history.
• Wolford finished with 94 three-pointers, the second most in a single season in school history.