Madison, N.J. (January 6) – A strong first-half showing from DeSales (11-3, 2-0 MAC Free) that saw them head into the second half with a double-digit lead, proved to be the difference maker as the Bulldogs fended off the FDU-Florham men's basketball, 81-71 in conference play on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Devils offense was led by Micah Moore (West Orange, N.J.), who dropped a season-high 20 points that included going 3-for-4 from the three-point strike. Moore also collected a game-high six rebounds. In his Devils debut, Jaqwan Washington (Bryan, Texas.) posted a double-digit point effort with 13 as well as snatching three rebounds.
 
The Bulldogs were a well-rounded unit today as the team saw five players reach double-digit points. They were led by Elijah Eberly who notched 15 while Caleb Gibbs had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
DeSales started the game off with an and-one opportunity from Will Bowen, who converted before an opening basket for Fairleigh Dickinson by Moore cut the early lead to one, 3-2. The Bulldogs then went on a 12-0 run before Washington hit a jumper in the paint to make the score, 15-4 DeSales with 14:14 remaining in the first half. Both teams continuously exchanged runs and buckets and because of the early surge, the Bulldogs went into the halftime with a 38-28 lead. Down the stretch, The Devils saw multiple three-point conversions from Ethan Klueh (Orlando, Fla.), Brian Nichols (Roxbury, N.J.) and Moore. The team also saw baskets from Andre Macaranas (Wayne, N.J.), Christopher Smith (Florham Park, N.J.) and Andrew Piombino Jr. (Rockaway, N.J.).
 
The Devils came out hot as Moore scored seven unanswered for FDU and cut the lead to 38-35. After a pair of made free throws from Gibbs, Smith collected a jumper that was followed by a three pointer from Nichols that tied the game 40-40 with 16:24 left in the second half. The game would only be tied for just under a minute however as Gibbs nailed a three-point shot that regained the lead for the Bulldogs. The game became a neck-and-neck battle with teams exchanging baskets until the Bulldogs pulled away at the 9:45 mark and never held anything less than a two-possession lead for the rest of the game to seal the win, 81-71
 
As a team, FDU-Florham shot 43.8 percent (23 of 56) from the floor, 55.6 percent (10 of 18) from the three-point range, and 71.4 percent (5 of 7) from the free-throw line. The Devils tallied 28 points in the paint, 32 points off the bench, and 13 second chance points.
 
DeSales shot 54.9 percent (28 of 51) from the floor, 27.3 percent (3 of 11) from the three-point range, and 62.9 percent (22 of 35) from the free-throw line. They totaled 46 points in the paint, 39 points off the bench, and 13 fast break points.
 
FDU-Florham stays home on Wednesday, January 10 for their next contest as the Devils play host to MAC Freedom opponent Delaware Valley for a 7:00 pm tip off.
 
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