Black Knights Edged by FDU in Non-conference Tilt

Monday, November 13

Teaneck, NJ

7 PM

Army West Point

1-1

Fairleigh Dickinson

2-0

ARMY

Fairleigh Dickinson

Black Knights Edged by FDU in Non-conference Tilt

November 13, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

HACKENSACK, N.J. – In a down-to-the-wire non-conference meeting with Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday night, the Army West Point women's basketball team fell 58-56 at the Rothman Center.

With the win, Fairleigh Dickinson improved to 2-0, while the Black Knights dropped their first game of the season and moved to 1-1 overall.

Army was led in scoring by Madison Hovren, who posted 20 points and a team-best nine boards. Daizjah Morris tallied her second consecutive double-digit scoring performance with 10 points, while Libby Tacka and Aliyah Murray followed with nine and seven, respectively.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Hovren recorded her 13th career 20-point performance.
The Black Knights have had a 20-point scorer in each of their first two games of the season.
Army did most of its damage down low, recording 26 of its 56 points from inside.
Liz Layne made her collegiate debut and had one rebound in five minutes of action.
Seven Cadets recorded at least one steal against the Knights.
The Army starters accounted for 48 of the team's 56 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Knights started the game showcasing their efficiency on the offensive end by knocking down five of their first seven shots. Defensively, Fairleigh Dickinson was able to contain Army's offense with an early 2-3 zone and the Knights went on a 12-3 run.
Tacka halted the run after burying a 3-pointer right before the first media timeout and immediately out of the break, Army trimmed the deficit to two after a 9-2 run. However, the Knights responded by putting in seven unanswered points and at the end of the first quarter, led 21-14.
Both sides experienced some offensive woes for the first half of the second quarter, scoring a combined five points in over five minutes of action.
Fairleigh Dickinson pushed its lead to 10, 29-19, but Army pulled within six after four straight points from Hovren. Following one more score by the Knights, Fairleigh Dickinson entered the half leading 31-23.
Army took the court to start the second half and a Hovren score inside sparked a 7-0 run. Within three minutes, the Black Knights had evened the score up at 34 apiece after Murray reeled in an offensive board and put it up and in, forcing Fairleigh Dickinson to call timeout.
The Black Knights grabbed their first lead of the night after Janae McNeal went to the charity stripe with 3:47 left in the third and sunk both foul shots. Army then took a 43-39 advantage into the final quarter of action.
An 11-2 run that began late in third and carried over into the fourth helped the Black Knights move ahead by 10, 51-41. Fairleigh Dickinson countered with an 8-2 run though and with a minute remaining, trimmed the Army lead to four.
The Knights later made it a three-point game and with 12 seconds left to play, Lauren Francillon hoisted up a deep 3-pointer and it was banked in off the glass to even the score up at 56 and Army called timeout.
A technical foul was assessed to Army before play resumed and Fairleigh Dickinson made just one of two foul shots.
On the ensuing possession and trailing by one, McNeal's layup attempt was blocked and rebounded by Francillon. After she connected on one of the two free throws, Army had one final chance at a score.
This time, it was Morris who drove toward the basket. The senior tried to get a shot off, but it was blocked and despite corralling the ball for another try, it too was rejected and Fairleigh Dickinson captured the two-point win.

UP NEXT
The Black Knights will square off with another Northeast Conference opponent this Thursday when they head to Brooklyn for a road matchup with St. Francis Brooklyn slated for 7 p.m.