Iona rallies past Fairleigh Dickinson 82-75 behind Svandrlik

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Jan Svandrlik set career highs with 27 points and six 3-pointers, and Iona rallied to beat Fairleigh Dickinson 82-75 on Saturday in its home opener.

Schadrac Casimir added 21 points, TK Edogi had 12 with eight rebounds, and Rickey McGill scored 11 with a career-high 12 rebounds for the Gaels (3-4), who made 26 of 33 free throws -- including 11 in the final 1:09.

Iona rallied to a 60-54 second-half lead on Casimir's three straight 3-pointers amid an 11-0 run, but FDU closed to 62-61 on Mike Holloway Jr.'s layup. Svandrlik's 3 and McGill's layup gave the Gaels a 71-68 edge. The Knights closed to 76-73 on Jahlil Jenkins' back-to-back layups with 23 seconds left, but McGill, Svandrlik and Casimir combined for six free throws down the stretch.

Darian Anderson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer to spark a 12-3 run and the Knights led 42-31 at halftime behind Caleb Bishop's 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

Noah Morgan scored 16 points with 10 rebounds, Bishop had 14 points, and Anderson and Darnell Edge added 11 apiece for the Knights (3-5), who have lost four straight on the road.