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HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University will look to create a Northeast Conference win streak when they host LIU Brooklyn on Thursday, Jan. 17. Tipoff at Stratis Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
The Knights lost a heartbreaker to NJIT, 66-63, on Monday, Jan. 14 in their final nonconference tilt of the season. Prior to Monday's game, the Knights moved to 2-2 in conference action after defeating Saint Francis University in overtime, 79-69, on Saturday, Jan.12.
The Knights are 7-10 on the season and finished nonconference play with a record of 5-8. The senior trio of Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison), Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Bishop Stepinac) and Lonnie Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) lead FDU in scoring. Rochford paces the Knights with 16.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, while also adding eight double-doubles in 12 games. Bolding and Robinson add 14.8 and 12.3 points per game for the Knights' offense.
As a unit, FDU averages 66.6 points per game, while allowing opponents to score 78.3 points per contest. The Knights grab an average of 29.5 rebounds and have forced 11.2 turnovers by opponents.
The Knights have struggled to stop opponents from scoring this season but have been strong shooters, making 44.9 percent of their shots from the field and 39.9 percent of attempts from beyond-the-arc. They rank second in the conference in shooting percentage and first in three-point shooting percentage.
The Blackbirds of LIU entered the season as the NEC preseason favorite after winning the NEC championship the last two years. The team went 5-7 in nonconference action and lost reigning NEC Player of the Year Julian Boyd to injury prior to conference play.
LIU is currently 1-3 in NEC action and sits at the bottom of the conference standings. The Blackbirds opened NEC play with losses at Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac and like FDU, split against Wagner and Mount St. Mary's last weekend. In their most recent outing, LIU defeated the Mount, 86-72, at the Barclays Center.
The Blackbirds are the top-ranked team in terms of offensive prowess with a shooting percentage of 46.0 percent and a scoring average of 76.9 points per game. However, the Blackbirds also rank at the bottom of the league in field goal defense and scoring defense. Opponents shoot 51.0 percent from the field and have scored 78.8 points per contest.
Jamal Olasewere leads the team in points and rebounds this season. His 18.3 points per contest rank second in the conference, while his 7.8 rebounds per game put him among the top 10 players. C.J. Garner adds 12.0 points per game for LIU, while Jason Brickman leads the conference in three-point shooting at 49.1 percent.
The Blackbirds are one of FDU's oldest foes, with the all-time series dating back to 1951. In 93 contests, the Knights have won 47 times, while falling to LIU on 46 occasions. Last season, the Knights fell to LIU, 91-80, to extend the Blackbirds' win streak to seven games in the series. The last time FDU defeated LIU was a 74-73 victory on Jan. 20, 2007.
The Knights will take on the other NEC Brooklyn contingent when they travel to St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, Jan. 19. Tipoff is slated for 4:30 p.m. in a men's/women's doubleheader.
