Center Valley, PA (January 17, 2015) – The DeSales University men's basketball team led by as many as 28 points twice in the second-half before FDU-Florham charged back to pull within three but the Bulldogs regrouped and closed the game on a 15-4 run to earn an 82-68 win in Freedom Conference action on Saturday afternoon in Billera Hall.
 
Sophomore Brian Laird poured in a team-high 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting from outside the arc, junior Cody Deal recorded his first-ever double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, and freshman Aaron Burton added double digits with 15 points and eight boards.  Senior Travis Bryan was critical down the stretch for DSU (10-5, 2-2 Freedom) totaling nine points and eight rebounds.
 
Senior Kevin Furlong was outstanding for FDU-Florham (1-14, 0-4 Freedom) with a game-high 26 points, including five three's in the loss.  Steve Herdman also played well with 18 points for the Devils.
 
DeSales never trailed in this game and had complete control of the contest from the very tip opening up a 16-4 lead in the first 5:13 of the game and led by as many as 23 points, twice, during the first-half before taking a 46-27 advantage into the locker rooms.
 
The Bulldogs forced FDU into shooting just 31.0 percent in the opening half and went 6-for-7 from beyond the arc themselves over the first twenty minutes.
 
DSU was still in complete control six minutes into the second-half taking its largest lead of the game, 62-34, with 14:03 to play on a three-point play from sophomore Ryan Callahan when FDU began its comeback.
 
Florham scored the next 11 points before a free throw by sophomore Kuity Slanger ended DSU's first drought and the Devils scored seven straight after that free throw again answered by a lay-up from Slanger making it 65-52 with 9:13 to go.
 
FDU wasn't done using a 12-2 run from there to pull within three points (67-64) with 5:17 left to play finishing a stretch of 8:46 in which the Devil's out-scored the Bulldogs, 30-5, turning a 28-point game into a three-point game with just over five minutes left to play.  Furlong was unconscious during the spurt scoring nearly half (14) of FDU's 30 points over that stretch.
 
Burton ended the drought for good at the 4:59 mark converting a lay-up in the lane off a nice pass from Deal that sparked a 9-0 run that put the game away.  Laird hit a big three from just in front of the DSU bench and later found Bryan all alone for a fast break lay-up to make it 76-64 with 2:11 on the clock.
 
Slanger finished with nine points on another high percentage shooting night (4-for-7) and Callahan and freshman Connor Jones each had solid games offensively off the bench scoring seven points each.
 
DSU finished the game shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 8-for-14 (57.1 percent) from deep.  DeSales also owned the glass enjoying a 42-32 in rebounding for the game.
 
The Bulldogs will return to action traveling to Wilkes University on Wednesday for another big road contest in Freedom Conference action beginning at 8:00 pm.