Glenside, Pa. (November 30) – A three pointer by junior Matthew Johnson (Oak Ridge, NJ) with a minute to play in regulation was the difference as FDU-Florham men's basketball earned a 60-59 win over Arcadia University in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) opener for both squads on Wednesday night.
 
FDU-Florham (1-6, 1-0 MAC Freedom) earned its first conference win since February 22, 2020, and its first win of the 2022-23 season tonight, while Arcadia opened MAC Freedom play with the setback and fell to 3-3 overall on the year.
 
Johnson paced FDU-Florham with 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Michael Dabas (Middletown, NJ) added 12 points and six boards to the winning effort for the Devils. Carson Woods (Phoenix, Ariz.) dished out three assists and registered a game-high six steals in a huge defensive effort for FDU-Florham tonight on the road.
 
FDU-Florham raced out to a 10-2 lead less than three minutes into the contest as four different Devils found the basket to open their first conference game of the season. After Arcadia cut its deficit to just four at 14-10, FDU-Florham answered with a quick 7-0 run for its largest lead of the game of 11 points at 21-10 with 8:12 left in the first. The 11-point lead marked FDU-Florham's largest lead of the season in any of its seven games thus far.
 
Arcadia was able to pull within five points following a layup by Jalen Watkins late in the opening half, but a jumper by Dabas a time expired gave FDU-Florham a seven point lead at 32-25 lead at the break.

The hosts opened the second half with a 10-4 run to make it a one point game at 36-35 before the Devils answered with a 6-1 run that was capped by a three pointer by Dabas for a 42-36 edge. Arcadia eventually took its first lead of the game at 47-46 with 7:05 left in regulation following a layup by Tre Digugliemo.

Over the final seven minutes of the game, the lead changed on ten different occasions with the final time coming on Johnson's three point basket with one minute to play. FDU-Florham's defense forced a turnover late in the game and was able to withstand three missed shots by Arcadia to hold on for the 60-59 win.
 
FDU-Florham shot 40.7-percent (22-for-54) from the floor, 28.6-percent (8-for-28) from three-point range and 88.9-percent (8-for-9) from the free throw line. The Devils tallied 20 points in the paint, ten points off Arcadia turnovers and 11 points off the bench.
 
Arcadia shot 43.4-percent (23-for-53) from the floor, 16.7-percent (3-for-18) from three-point range and 76.9-percent (10-for-13) from the free throw line. The Knights scored 36 of their 59 points in the paint and notched 15 points off the bench.
 
FDU-Florham returns home on Saturday, December 3 for a MAC Freedom contest at 3:00 pm against DeSales University. The Devils will play in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and in FDU-Florham's annual "Purple Out", the first 100 students at the game will receive a free purple t-shirt.

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