Albany, N.Y. - Gerardo Suero had 23 points to pace four players in double figures in leading UAlbany to an 81-62 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday, Nov. 27 at SEFCU Arena.
The opening half featured eight lead changes and six ties. Fairleigh Dickinson (1-4) reversed a 17-11 deficit with a 10-3 run to go in front. Mouhamed Lo sliced the lead in half with a conventional three-point play. Lonnie Hayes later canned a three-point field goal and Melquan Bolding followed his own miss for a 21-20 advantage.
The Knights were still ahead 28-26 after Bolding hit a jumper when he moved into the lane. But the Great Danes reeled off 13 consecutive points over the final three minutes and 46 seconds of the half. Ralph Watts connected on a drive in transition in regaining the lead. Suero, the team's leading scorer who did not start due to a mild ankle sprain, followed with a basket and two free throws. Logan Aronhalt nailed a long-range 3-pointer from the left side to complete the outburst.
UAlbany (4-3) still led 47-34 in the second half, but then took firm control with seven unanswered. Blake Metcalf, a 6-foot-9 junior who tallied a career-high 14 points on 7-of-7 from the floor, scored on the left baseline and followed a missed fastbreak layup. Jayson Guerrier, who netted 13 points off the bench, added an offensive rebound basket.
"No one expects me to score those kinds of points on a day-to-day basis," Metcalf stated. "I am getting better at playing defense and helping out the team like I normally would. I was at the right place and at the right time for most of the game. The guards did all the work and I just finished it off."
The Great Danes, who held FDU to 32.3-percent shooting after halftime, led by as much as 24 in the late stages of the contest. Suero, who had 14 second-half points, gave his team its biggest advantage by converting twice off fastbreak passes and making a pair of free throws.
"We played well the last 24 minutes and got contributions from every guy," said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team was coming off a victory against Navy two days ago. "If we put 70-plus points up every night, we are going to be successful. I see this team getting better."
Hayes, a 6-foot junior, led the Knights with 23 points, while Kinu Rochford had 11 points and seven rebounds. Aronhalt was the fourth UAlbany player in double digits with 15 points.
Paw Prints: UAlbany defeated Fairleigh Dickinson for the second year in a row after posting a 72-46 decision last season ... the Great Danes are above the .500 mark after the opening seven games for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign ... Blake Metcalf and Jayson Guerrier combined to make all 13 of their field goal attempts ... Metcalf's previous career-high scoring total was 11 against Siena on Dec. 4, 2010 ... Logan Aronhalt added a career-best five assists and eight rebounds to go with his double-digit scoring figure ... Gerardo Suero netted 20-plus points for the fourth time this season.
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