JANUARY 10, 2018

KING'S WOMEN FALL TO DEFENDING CHAMPION FDU, 75-66

MADISON, NJ -- Kendrea Williams and Gabrielle Harris combined for 53 points to power the defending MAC Freedom Conference champion FDU-Florham women's basketball  team to a 75-66 home court victory over visiting King's College Wednesday night in Madison, NJ.

With the win FDU improved to 10-4 overall and 3-0 in Freedom Conference games while King's slipped to 7-7 and 2-1.

King's opened the game with an 8-1 surge on the strength of six points from Rebecca Prociak. After the Devils closed to within 13-7, King's used a 5-0 spurt to move ahead 18-7 after an Alexis Steeber lay-up before settling for a 18-11 lead heading into the second quarter.

FDU whittled away at the King's lead in the second frame and eventually tied the score at 23-23 on a Jennah Roman lay-up with 2:55 left in the half. With the game tied 26-26, Mackenzie Yori scored on a driving lay-up with 0:50 on the clock as the Lady Monarchs took a 28-26 lead into  the halftime break.

In the third quarter the game remained a nip-and-tuck affair. With the Devils holding a 35-33 lead, Yori buried a three-pointer to give King's a 36-35 advantage with 4:11 on the clock. But FDU used a 6-0 spurt to go ahead 41-36 after a pair of foul shots by Kendrea Williams at the 3:36 mark.

After Yori canned another three-pointer for King's to cut the lead to 41-39, the Devils scored the next four points to build a 45-39 advantage with 1:27 to play in the third quarter. Alexis Steeber would bring the Lady Monarchs within 45-41 on a driving lay-up with 0:37 left, but Williams came up by penetrating to the basket to score on a lay-up at the buzzer as FDU took a 47-41 lead into the final quarter.

King's closed to 47-43 on an inside bucket from Olivia Hoffman but the Devils used a 7-0 run to push the lead to 54-43 with 8:09 remaining. King's countered with a three-pointer by Erin Schmidt and a Prociak lay-up to cut the score to 54-48 at the 6:11 mark. But Williams made a three-pointer and Bria Smith scored on a lay-up to give the Devils a 59-48 lead with 5:39 on the clock.

After a Prociak basket trimmed the score to 59-50 with 5:23 to play the Devils eventually took their biggest lead of the game at 67-55 with 2:27 left. Schmidt would hot a three-pointer to bring King's to within 67-58 with 2:16 to go but the Lady Monarchs would draw no closer.

Yori finished with a team-high 15 points while Prociak posted her sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Schmidt scored a season-high 12 points while Hoffman added six points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. Steeber and Kayla Dillinger also chipped in with six points apiece.

Williams led FDU with 30 points while Harris followed with 23 for the Devils. Only seven FDU players reached the scoring column.

The Devils made 17-of-18 foul shots while King's made three free throws in just six attempts.

King's returns to action Saturday with a 1:00 PM home matchup against league rival Manhattanville College in Scandlon Gymnasium.