MADISON, N.J. – Using a nearly-50 percent field goal shooting performance, the Lycoming College men's basketball team rolled past FDU-Florham, 79-54, in both teams' MAC Freedom season opener at Ferguson Recreation Center on Thursday night, Feb. 11.

Sophomore Dyson Harward (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) scored a team-high 15 points and added five rebounds and one block, as he hit 5-of-8 from the floor for Lycoming, which won its season opener for the 13th straight year. Senior Darius Dangerfield (Abingdon, M.D./Harford Tech) contributed 13 points, four rebounds and three assists and freshman Steven Hamilton (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville Area) added 11 points.

The Warriors (1-0) shot 48 percent (32-of-66) and held the Devils (0-1) to 40 percent (21-of-53), including just 17 percent (4-of-23) from beyond the arc.

After FDU-Florham closed within eight points at 47-39 with 15:13 left, Lycoming responded by going on a 22-5 run over the next 8:06 of game time, led by six points and a steal from Hamilton, who shot 5-of-9 from the field in his college debut. After that run, the Devils never got closer than 21 points, allowing a total of 17 Warriors to receive some form of playing time.

In the first half, the Warriors hit 46 percent from the field and held the Devils to 41 percent, but FDU-Florham shot 5-of-6 from the free throw line to stay in the game and head into the locker room down six.

After the Devils took a 2-0 lead in the first minute of the game, they never led again, as junior Matt Ilodigwe (Wilmington, Del./Concord) answered 10 seconds later with a 3-pointer off an assist from Harward. Ilodigwe would strike again a minute later with another 3-pointer, courtesy of another Harward assist to extend his squad's lead to 6-2. The Warriors broke open the contest with a 14-4 run in the first 5:30.

Matthew Johnson had the hot hand for FDU-Florham in the first half, scoring 13 points off 5-of-6 shooting before the break. He finished with a game-high 21 points thanks to 8-of-12 shooting, as well as eight rebounds. Oliver Ortman added 10 points for the Devils.

Ilodigwe finished with nine points for the Warriors – all on three-pointers – and he added four rebounds and three assists. Junior D'Andre Edmond (Pflugerville, Texas/Pflugerville) and DeAundre Manuel (Brooklyn, N.Y./KIPP NYC College) notched seven points apiece for Lycoming.

The Warriors get back on the court on Friday, Feb. 12, when they host FDU-Florham for the second half of a home-and-home at 7 p.m. at Lamade Gymnasium.