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MOON TWP., Pa. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team will face first-place Robert Morris University on Saturday, Feb. 23. Tipoff at the Charles L. Sewall Center is slated for 7 p.m. and will follow the FDU women's basketball team's matchup with the Colonials.
The Colonials became the first Northeast Conference team to clinch a post season position with a 77-65 win over Monmouth University on Thursday, Feb. 21. RMU is now 19-9 on the year, with an 11-4 record in the NEC.
Robert Morris is led by Karvel Anderson, who averages 12.3 points per game. Lucky Jones adds 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Velton Jones and Russell Johnson also add double-digit points for the Colonials, with 10.8 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.
As a unit, the Colonials average 70.4 points per game, while shooting 43.1 percent from the floor. The team leads the Northeast Conference with a shooting percentage of 38.5 from three-point range and a free-throw percentage of 74.9.
RMU brings down 31.4 rebounds per game, while forcing 16.5 turnovers per game and recording a league-leading 8.93 steals per contest.
The Knights are 7-21 on the year, with a 2-13 Northeast Conference mark, after falling at Saint Francis University, 69-63 on Thursday. The loss at Saint Francis increased FDU's losing streak to 12 games. The team averages 65.7 points per game, while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from beyond-the-arc. FDU also brings down 31 rebounds per game, forces 12.3 turnovers and collects 5.9 steals per contest.
Senior Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) leads the Knights this year with 14.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and has 10 double-doubles in 27 games. Rochford leads the league in rebounding and field goal percentage and is ranked eighth in points per game. Classmate Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Bishop Stepinac) adds 13.6 points per game.
The Knights are 30-36 against Robert Morris in the all-time series, dating back to 1980. The Colonials are currently riding a 10-game win streak over the Knights, with FDU's last win in 2007.
The Colonials earned an 88-54 win over the Knights in their first meeting of the season. In that contest, the Colonials led FDU from three-point range to maintain control of the game. RMU made 13-of-24 three-point shots, with Coron Williams leading the way, making 8-of-10 from distance and scoring 27 points for the Colonials.
The Knights shot 40.4 percent on the night, compared to the Colonial's 55.9 percent. The Colonials scored 21 points by capitalizing on 17 FDU turnovers and added 32 points in the paint. Overall, FDU was outrebounded, 37-23.
Bolding led FDU's offensive attempt with 17 points, while Rochford recorded 13 points and freshman Sekou Harris (Plainfield, N.J./Plainfield High School) added 11.
Following the bout with Robert Morris, the Knights will return to Stratis Arena to host Wagner and Mount St. Mary's next weekend.
