ST. DAVID'S, Pa. – Standout senior forward Shalette Brown became the 15th player in Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham women's basketball history to record 1,000 career points after she scored 18 in the Devils' 79-66 victory over the Eastern University Eagles on Wednesday night.
Brown added 21 rebounds to go along with her 18 points on the night for her 11th double-double of the season. The senior forward teamed up with junior Rachel Groom to dominate the paint. Groom led the Devils in scoring with 20 points and brought down 11 boards in the win.
The Eagles (8-6, 2-1 MAC Freedom) started off hot going on a 7-0 run early in the first quarter, but the Devils (10-4, 2-1 MAC Freedom) did not seemed fazed and turned to both Groom and Brown down low to climb right back into the game. The two combined for 11 of the team's first 16 points.
FDU-Florham struggled to pull away from Eastern in the second quarter as sophomore guard Taylor Price kept the game close for the Eagles. Price finished the night with a game-high 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field.
The Devils had a one-point lead entering the second half, but the most notable statistic was that Brown had already amassed a double-double and was two points shy of reaching 1,000 points. It did not take long for history to be made though as just over the midway point of the third quarter, sophomore guard Danielle Leuillou dished the ball over to Brown and she finished inside the painted area.
Both Leguillou and fellow starting guard for the Devils, Alyssa McDonough, did most of their damage in the second half, combining for 21 points.
FDU-Florham grabbed hold of a 13-point lead once Leguillou knocked down a midrange jumper and Brown hit a pair of free throws to close out the third quarter.
A 10-2 run that was capped off by a McDonough 3-point shot to open up the final quarter of play helped the Devils begin to fly away from the Eagles. The Devils offense was efficient and went on a couple of small runs, never allowing the deficit to reach single digits.
This marks the Devils' third consecutive win and head coach Marc Mitchell is pleased with the production that he is getting on both ends of the floor from his young and talented players.
"I love the way we competed tonight. I believe we are truly coming together," Mitchell said.
FDU-Florham will return to action on Saturday, January 16 as the DeSales University Bulldogs travel to Madison for a MAC Freedom showdown that is set to tip at 1 p.m.
