JANUARY 10, 2018

KING'S WOMEN FALL TO DEFENDING CHAMPION FDU-FLORHAM, 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-Florham 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-Florham 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-Florham 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-Florham 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-Florham with 30 points while Harris followed with 23 for the Devils. Only seven FDU-Florham 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.