HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team will travel to Virginia this weekend to take on Virginia Commonwealth University and Longwood University to conclude 2012. The Knights will face VCU in Richmond on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 4 p.m. before facing Longwood in Farmville on Dec. 31 at 2 p.m.
The Knights are 4-6 on the year, with a 76-62 loss to Vermont in their most recent outing. This weekend will be the second and third games of a five-game road trip for FDU.
Seniors Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Bishop Stepinac), Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) and Lonnie Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) lead the Knights' scoring effort this season with 14.5, 13.7 and 13.4 points per contest, respectively. Rochford also leads FDU on the boards with 9.0 rebounds per game.
As a team, the Knights are averaging 66.4 points per game and shooting 44.6 percent from the field. They have allowed opponents to shoot 51.6 percent so far this season, but have held the opposition to a 37.5 percent three-point percentage, while shooting 42.3 from beyond the arc. The Knights have also been outrebounded by an average of 7.3 boards per game.
The Rams of VCU are led by fourth-year Head Coach Shaka Smart. Smart's Rams started the year with a 9-3 record and are riding a six-game win streak. Last weekend, VCU defeated Longwood, 93-56, at the Siegel Center in Richmond. The team is 6-1 on the season in games played at the Siegel Center.
Like the Knights, the Rams have four players averaging double-digit points. Treveon Graham and Juvonte Reddic lead the squad with 14.7 and 13.7 points per game, and Reddic paces the Rams with 7.3 rebounds per game.
The Rams have outscored opponents by an average of 17.1 points per game, averaging 76.2 points and 35.5 rebounds per contest, while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.
FDU and VCU have met just twice before, with both contests taking place in 1972. The Knights defeated the Rams in overtime on Feb. 18 before falling, 63-47, in December.
The Lancers of Longwood are 3-10 on the year with wins over Florida A&M, Central Penn and Southern Virginia. The Big South member is led by 10th-year Head Coach Mike Gillian. In 13 games, the Lancers have been outscored by an average of 19.1 points and outrebounded by a slight margin of 0.5 boards per game.
Tristan Carey paces Longwood with 14.4 points per game, while Michael Kessens adds11.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest.
The Knights and Lancers have met on three occasions, all in the last three seasons, including last year's contest at Stratis Arena. FDU is 1-2 all time in the series.
On January 16, 2012 the Lancers defeated FDU, 87-83, in Hackensack. Bolding led the Knights with a career-high 38 points and shot 50 percent from the floor as he went 12-of-24, knocked down 4-of-10 shots from three-point range and went a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
Following the Virginia road trip, the Knights will begin Northeast Conference action. FDU will travel to Mount St. Mary's to open conference play on Thursday, Jan. 3 before facing Wagner in Staten Island on Saturday, Jan. 5.
