NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- Mustafaa Jones scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half and Marques Townes added 16 to lead Fairleigh Dickinson past Central Connecticut State 73-67 in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.

Fairleigh Dickinson (6-6) trailed by as many as 11 in the first half but CCSU (2-12), which was short-handed due to injuries to guards Khalen Cumberlander and Malcolm McMillan, was out-scored 42-34 in the second.

Jones hit a 3 with 7:29 left, giving Fairleigh Dickinson a 57-55 lead and the Knights would not trail again.

A layup by Brandon Peel 44 seconds later tied it before another 3-pointer by Jones sparked a 14-4 run, which resulted in a 10-point Fairleigh Dickinson lead with 51 seconds to play. Townes scored seven during that stretch.

Matt Mobley scored 26 and Faronte Drakeford had 20 for CCSU. Drakeford added 13 rebounds and five assists, both career highs.