skip navigation

Fairleigh Dickinson keeps Delaware winless, 76-74

12/20/2014, 4:00pm EST
By Tom Reifsnyder
Kyle Anderson

Kyle Anderson (right) scored 17 points in his second game back from injury as the Blue Hens fell 76-74 to Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. (Photo: Anson Marsh)

Tom Reifsnyder (@tom_reifsnyder)

The Delaware Blue Hens were just a minute away from their first win of the season in a road matchup with Fairleigh Dickinson University on Saturday in Teaneck, N.J.

Just when it seemed like the Blue Hens had finally pulled away, Fairleigh Dickinson closed the gap to just one point on an and-one dunk by freshman Earl Potts Jr., who would finish with 14 points. Potts Jr. missed the ensuing free throw, but responded with a big block on the defensive end to force a Delaware timeout with 1:07 remaining.

With just under 30 seconds to go, Potts Jr. drove to the basket and got fouled by a mob of Delaware defenders. The freshman knocked down both free throws to put the Knights up one with 26 seconds remaining.

“I really wasn’t [nervous] because he deserved them,” head coach Greg Herenda said. “Sometimes guys get to the line and it’s like, ‘He shouldn’t be there.’

“It was his game to win or lose and I was very, very confident.”

Delaware squandered its next possession, turning it over on an inbounds play under the basket with 2.4 seconds left in the game.

Freshman Darian Anderson was fouled and sent to the line after making the game-sealing steal with Fairleigh Dickinson leading by one.

He missed the first and knocked down the second to give the Knights a two-point advantage that would hold until the final buzzer; the freshman would finish with 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting to lead his team in scoring.

The Blue Hens failed to achieve their first victory despite a strong performance from senior Kyle Anderson, who made his season debut on Thursday in a loss to Temple, as Fairleigh Dickinson came away with a hard-fought home win, 76-74.

“Delaware really deserved the game but we won it, I don’t know if that makes any sense,” Herenda said. “That’s a CAA basketball team that’s banged up and that’s not playing their best but they’re going to win games, I know that.

“They just happen to be in one of those stretches that no one wants to be in, but they’ll get out of it.”

The first half was back-and-forth as the Knights were paced by sophomore co-captain Matt MacDonald, who knocked down two 3-pointers and a long mid-range jumper, and Anderson, who led Fairleigh Dickinson with 10 points at the half.

Anderson led the Blue Hens to a 38-36 halftime lead with 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting; the senior would finish with 17 points on the night. Freshman guard Anthony Mosley handled the majority of the playmaking duties (five assists) for the Blue Hens while sophomore Cazmon Hayes chipped in eight points and three rebounds at the midway point.

After a first half that provided four lead changes, the Knights took the lead right back from Delaware in the opening minutes of the second half.

Fairleigh Dickinson’s lead would hold until Delaware freshman Chivarsky Corbett knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give his team the lead, 52-51, with under 13 minutes remaining in regulation. Corbett would finish with 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting.

After the Knights took back the lead on a Marques Townes three-pointer (56-54), Corbett hit yet another triple to give Delaware the lead once again, 57-56, with 9:30 remaining.

Following Corbett’s hot streak from deep, Hayes went on a run of his own, knocking down three 3-pointers in a matter of minutes to give the Blue Hens a 68-66 advantage with just over five minutes left in the second half.

Hayes capped off his scoring spurt with a coast-to-coast layup to give Delaware a 72-66 lead with 3:36 to go; he would finish with a game-high 21 points.

In the final minutes, Potts Jr. took control for Fairleigh Dickinson on both ends. A string of impressive plays including a two-hand slam, two clutch free throws, and a blocked shot sealed the victory for the Knights.

“Earl Potts really was a big part of our victory in the second half against Princeton and he did the same thing tonight against Delaware,” Herenda said. “He’s a very good shooter and he’s going to evolve into a really good player.”

Corbett’s last second heave from three-quarter court was no good as Delaware fell to 0-9 on the season.

Delaware’s next chance to earn its first win will come on the road at Robert Morris University on Monday, Dec. 22.

Next up for Fairleigh Dickinson (4-5) is a home matchup with Saint Peter’s University on Tuesday, Dec. 23.


Recruiting News:

HS Coverage:

Tag(s): Home  Tom Reifsnyder