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HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team will conclude nonconference play with a home tilt against NJIT on Monday, Jan. 14, with tipoff at Stratis Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
The Knights are fresh off of a 79-69 overtime victory over Saint Francis University on Saturday, which moved FDU to 7-9 on the year, with a 2-2 mark in Northeast Conference action.
FDU is currently led by senior Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison), who has averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest. Rochford's scoring average ranks him eighth in the conference, while his rebounding prowess is the top ranked among NEC competitors. Rochford's eight double-doubles in 12 games ranks him ninth in the NCAA national rankings.
Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Bishop Stepinac) and Lonnie Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) also add double-digit figures to the Knights' offense with 14.9 and 12.4 points per game, respectively. Robinson led FDU against SFU with 17 points.
As a unit, the Knights have averaged 66.9 points per game, with a 44.8 percent shooting percentage, and lead the NEC with a three-point shooting percentage of 39.0.
FDU pulls down 29.8 rebounds per game but set a season-high with 39 boards against Saint Francis on Saturday. They have forced 11.1 turnovers per contest thus far.
The Highlanders enter Monday's contest with an overall record of 8-8, their best midseason mark since becoming an NCAA Division I competitor. NJIT battled Chicago State to triple overtime in Great West play on Saturday, pulling out an 83-78 win on their home court for their second straight win.
The team has averaged 70.2 points per game, five points greater than their opponents' average. The Highlanders have shot 40.6 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from beyond-the-arc this season and have pulled down 42.3 rebounds per game for the 10th best rebounding average in the nation.
Seniors Chris Flores and Ryan Woods pace the Highlanders offensively with 16.6 and 14.2 points per game, while freshman Terrence Smith leads the team on the glass with 7.0 rebounds per game.
The Knights and Highlanders have met three times since NJIT joined the Division I ranks. NJIT has earned the win on all three occasions, including a 66-53 win in Newark last season.
FDU resumes its NEC schedule on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. with a home contest against preseason favorite LIU Brooklyn at Stratis Arena
