Long Island Holds off Fairleigh Dickinson Men’s Hoops in OT, 122-115
Felton drains career-high 41 points, pulls down 12 boards.

Box Score

Hackensack, N.J. – Fairleigh Dickinson rallied from a 19-point second half deficit, sending the game into overtime, only to fall to visiting Long Island, 122-115, in men’s basketball action tonight.  Knights’ senior center James Felton (Jersey City, N.J.) poured in a career-high 41 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in his final game at the Rothman Center.  Long Island had five players score in double-digits, led by 26 points from JaJa Bey (Corona, N.Y.) and 23 points from Antawn Dobie (Corona, N.Y.)

            The Knights (4-24, 4-15 NEC) trailed 50-34 at the half behind 19 points from Bey. After Long Island (5-21, 5-14 NEC) built the margin to 57-38, Fairleigh Dickinson outscored the Blackbirds 62-46 in the second half to send the game into the extra period knotted at 96-96.  Down by 10 (91-81) with 3:16 left in regulation, the Knights closed it out with a 15-5 spurt, led by seven of Felton’s 22 second half points.

            The two teams traded baskets for the first 3:07 of the extra frame and the Blackbirds held a 111-110 advantage.  Over the next 1:18 the Knights missed a pair of three-point attempts, while Maurice Yearwood (Brooklyn, N.Y.) netted four free-throws and Dobie added two to put Long Island up 117-110 with :35 to go. A Felton three-pointer cut the margin to 119-115 with :15 left, but Long Island sealed the game by hitting 3-of-4 at the free-throw line.

            Felton hit 17-of-27 from the field and 6-of-9 at the free-throw line.  Forward Matt Hammond (Burlington, N.J.) gave the Knights 23 points, playing all 45 minutes. Freshman Richard Chavez (Wichita, Kan.) also chipped in a career-high 16 points and Ryshaun Sunkins (North Brunswick, N.J.) pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds to go along with nine points.

            Bey connected on 12-of-22 from the field.  Dobie hit 7-of-14 from the field and 7-of-10 at the charity stripe for the Blackbirds who shot 55.4 percent from the field for the game.  Keith Leslie (Astoria, N.Y.) scored 19 points and Craig Taylor (Bronx, N.Y.) contributed 18 for Long Island.

            Fairleigh Dickinson will close out the 2001-02 season on Monday, February 25^th, at Monmouth.  That game will be broadcast live on MSG TV.