Box Score MADISON, N.J. – The FDU-Florham Devils men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to Freedom Conference foe Misericordia University, 59-57 on Saturday afternoon at the Ferguson Recreation Center.
The game was knotted at 57-57 when Misericordia junior guard
Joe Busacca put the Cougars on top by draining a pull-up jumper with five seconds remaining in regulation. Devils senior forward
Will Green (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) managed to draw a foul with 0.2 seconds remaining, but he was unable to convert the two free throws and the Cougars secured the thrilling victory. Busacca finished with a game-high 23 points and the winning basket.
The first half was a tightly-contested defensive battle and the Devils (7-8, 2-2 MAC) entered the break with a 30-24 advantage.
Kevin Furlong (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) led the way for FDU in the opening stanza with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
Nearly halfway through the second half, the Devils had built a 10-point lead (48-38) and appeared to be in control. However, with 2:47 left to play, a pair of free throws by Misericordia forward
Steve Ware completed a Cougar comeback and evened the score at 55-55. One minute later, the Cougars took their first lead of the half at 57-55.
John Flete (Flemington, N.J./North Hampton CC) snagged a missed three-pointer by
Trevor Sykes (Staten Island, N.Y./St.Peter's Boy's) and promptly laid it in to even the score again. After each team took a time out, Busacca delivered the game-winner with the shot clock winding down, giving the Cougars their seventh win of the season.
Flete picked up his first double-double of the campaign with a team-high 18 points and 10 boards, while Furlong finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Devils in the loss. Once again, freshman forward
Donte Ali (Willingboro, N.J./Medford Tech) came off of the bench and provided a spark for FDU, totaling eight points and six rebounds, while playing stellar defense with two blocked shots.
Prior to the game, the team honored
Will Green for becoming the 19
th Devils men's basketball player to join the Career 1,000-Point Club. Green notched the milestone point earlier this week against Manhattanville.
Next up for the Devils:
FDU heads to St. Davids, Pa. to take on Eastern University this Wednesday, January 22
nd at 8 p.m.
