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HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team will travel to Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday, Feb. 16 to take on the Blackbirds of LIU Brooklyn. Tipoff at the Wellness Center is slated for 4:30 p.m. as part of a men's/women's doubleheader.
The Knights fell to 7-19 on the year with their 10th consecutive loss on Thursday when they were defeated by St. Francis Brooklyn, 85-61. The losing streak includes an overtime loss to LIU at Stratis Arena in Jan. 17 After trailing at halftime, the Knights stormed ahead early in the second half to take a 48-38 lead with 15 minutes left to play. The Blackbirds fought through the second half and tied the game at 69 on a three-point shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. LIU outscored FDU 10-6 in overtime to seal the victory.
FDU is averaging 65.8 points per game this season, while shooting 43.9 percent from the floor. The Knights have been outrebounded by an average of 37.5-30.6 boards per game this year but have increased their rebounding effort to pull down 36.0 rebounds per game over their last four contests.
Individually, Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) paces the Knights with 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. The senior scored 20 and grabbed 16 rebounds in the loss to St. Francis for his ninth double-double of the year.
Senior Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Bishop Stepinac) also adds double-digit points for FDU with 14.2 points per game. Junior Sidney Sanders Jr. (Charleston, S.C./Burke) has been a strong producer for the Knights recently, with 25 minutes per game averaged and an assistant to turnover ratio of 2.9-1 over the last four games, including a career-best 10 assists and just one turnover on Thursday.
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 9-4 in NEC action and holds a tie for second place with Robert Morris. The Blackbirds opened NEC play with losses at Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac and like FDU, split against Wagner and Mount St. Mary's before winning eight of their last nine games, including an overtime victory over FDU on Jan. 17.
The Blackbirds are the top-ranked team in terms of offensive prowess, with a shooting percentage of 46.9 percent and a scoring average of 77.0 points per game. However, the Blackbirds also rank among the bottom of the league in field goal defense. Opponents shoot 47.9 percent from the field and have scored 75.4 points per contest.
Jason Brickman currently leads the nation with 8.4 assists per game, while adding 9.7 points per game for the Blackbirds. Senior Jamal Olasewere leads the team in points and rebounds this season. His 19.2 points per contest rank third in the conference, while his 8.4 rebounds per game put him among the top five players. C.J. Garner adds 13.6 points per game for LIU.
The Blackbirds are one of FDU's oldest rivals, with the all-time series dating back to 1951. In 94 contests, the series is deadlocked at 47-47. The last time FDU defeated LIU was a 74-73 victory on Jan. 20, 2007.
Following the bout in Brooklyn, the Knights will travel to Western Pennsylvania to face Saint Francis University and Robert Morris on Feb. 21 and 23.
