fairleigh dickinson, FDU, NCAA Tournament, NEC Tournament

Fairleigh Dickinson Men's Basketball punch ticket to NCAA Tournament

The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball team (19-14, 10-6 Northeast Conference) rolled past Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash, 70-50 in the Northeast Conference Tournament Semifinals at the Stratis Arena Inside the Rothman Center in Hackensack, New Jersey.

With the victory, FDU punched a ticket to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2019. The Knights improved drastically from last season, winning 15 more games.

Demetre Roberts scored a game-high 18 points, Ansley Almonor contributed 15 points, and Grant Singleton added 10.

FDU Head Coach Tobin Anderson, on the momentous win, "I couldn't be prouder of our guys. A great atmosphere for college basketball and a packed crowd. We are happy to get the win and move on."

"We played well defensively and it's a long season and you start in the summertime. The players have hung in there and gotten better and improved and have great attitudes. We have high character guys and no one's causing troubles and issues and a great honor to coach them. "

The Knights trailed Saint Francis 13-12 with less than 11 minutes remaining in the first half, then answered with an 11-3 spurt over the next four minutes of action.

With four minutes remaining in the first half, the Knights led 27-23. FDU displayed the ability to drive into the paint for layups and knock down the jump shots. Once halftime rolled around, the Knights were up 35-28.

In the second half, FDU's offense caught fire as they went on a 15-4 run in the first eight and half minutes to stretch out the advantage and put the game away for good as the half wore on.

Fairleigh Dickinson Set For NEC Championship Game

FDU returns to action on Tuesday, March 7, when they face number one seed Merrimack College (17-16, 12-4 NEC) in the Northeast Conference Championship Game at Lawler Arena in North Andover, Massachusetts, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.

"It's a unique situation we also have in the conference championship game at Merrimack on Tuesday, and we want to win that game," FDU Knights Men's Basketball Coach Tobin Anderson said. "Sometimes, the NEC takes hard knocks, but this is a good conference with good players, and we'll have been good teams and done it consistently."