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HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team will return to Stratis Arena on Thursday, Jan. 10. After playing 12-of-14 games on the road to start the season, the Knights will host Robert Morris in a Northeast Conference contest. Tipoff at Stratis Arena is slated for 7 p.m. The game will be live streamed on NECFrontRow.com.
The Knights are 6-8 on the season, with a 1-1 mark in NEC action. Last weekend, the Knights snapped Mount St. Marys' seven-game win streak in the all-time series with a 72-65 win in Emmitsburg, Md. before falling at Wagner.
At Wagner, senior Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) paced the Knights and recorded his seventh double-double in 10 games with 16 points and 16 rebounds. However, the Knights shot a season-low 29.6 percent from the field, while allowing Wagner to connect on 43.5 percent of its attempts. Wagner's ability to outshoot the Knights handed FDU a 68-55 loss to move them to 1-1 in NEC competition.
FDU is currently averaging 66.9 points per game and shooting a league-leading 45.4 percent from the field. The Knights are also leading the conference in three-point shooting percentage, with a mark of 39.4 percent from three-point range. FDU grabs an average of 29.6 rebounds per game, while forcing 11.1 turnovers and registering 5.6 steals per game.
Rochford leads the Knights this year with 17.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Last week, the senior averaged over 20 points and 12 boards in three contests. Classmates Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Bishop Stepinac) and Lonnie Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) have added double-digit points for FDU with 14.9 and 12.9 points per game for the duo, respectively.
Robert Morris is 8-7 on the season, with a 3-4 record on the road. After being selected to finish second in the preseason coaches' poll, the Colonials have started the NEC season with two straight losses. By dropping games to Bryant and Central Connecticut, the 2012-13 squad became the first RMU team ever to lose their first two conference games at home. The last time the Colonials lost two consecutive games at the Sewell Center was during the 2004-05 season.
As a unit, the Colonials are averaging 68.7 points per game and shooting 40.4 percent from the floor. Robert Morris has pulled down 33.0 rebounds per game, forced 16.6 turnovers per contest and recorded an average of 8.7 steals per game.
Preseason All-NEC guard Velton Jones leads the team with 13.1 points per game, while Karvel Anderson adds 12.7 points per game. Jones also leads the team with 79 assists and 27 steals through 15 games. Newark native Lucky Jones leads the Colonials rebounding effort with 5.9 per contest.
The Knights are 30-35 against Robert Morris in the all-time series, dating back to 1980. The Colonials are currently riding a nine-game win streak over the Knights, with FDU's last win in 2007. In the team's last meeting, Robert Morris defeated FDU, 67-55. at the Rothman Center.
Following Thursday's game, the Knights will take on Saint Francis University on Saturday, Jan. 12. Tipoff in the second game of a doubleheader is scheduled for 7 p.m.
