HACKENSACK, N.J. – Center Andrea Crosariol scored 18 points and Fairleigh Dickinson earned its first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1998 with a 58-52 victory over Wagner in the championship game of the Northeast Conference tournament last night.

Mensah Peterson scored seven of his 13 points in the final 3:28, including a huge 3-pointer with 24 seconds to play, as the second-seeded Knights (20-12) gave coach Tom Green his fourth trip to the NCAAs in his 22-year career.

Durell Vinson had 14 points and eight rebounds for sixth-seeded Wagner (13-17),which was trying to cap an amazing turnaround after a 2-15 start. The loss was only their second in 13 games.

The Seahawks nearly staged a final comeback after falling behind 47-36 on a 3-pointer by Gordon Klaiber with 10:31 to play.

The Knights did not score another field goal until Peterson hit his big 3-pointer in the final minute. Mark Porter, who led Wagner to its upset of top-seeded Monmouth on Sunday, keyed the 13-4 spurt with eight points. His two free throws cut the lead to 51-49 with 1:23.

Peterson was fouled 12 seconds later and hit both ends of a one-and-one opportunity to push the lead to 53-49, all but knocking Wagner out.

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MONTANA 63, WEBER ST. 61

In other mid-major action, Kamarr Davis scored 19 points and Montana held off Weber State’s late rally for a 63-61 victory in the Big Sky Conference tournament title game.

Virgil Matthews’s dunk with 4:17 left capped an 11-0 run and made it 54-44 for Montana, which has won six straight.