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HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team (5-11, 1-1 NEC) will look to bounce back in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Thursday night when it faces LIU Brooklyn (5-10, 0-2 NEC) in a Northeast Conference contest at the Steinberg Wellness Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on NEC Front Row.

Last Time Out
The Knights let a nine-point second-half lead slip away in a tough 71-67 loss at Sacred Heart last Saturday. FDU led the first 30 minutes of the contest until the Pioneers fought back to knot the game at 57-57 with 9:17 remaining in the game.

Trailing 69-67 at the 1:45 mark, the Knights had a chance to potentially tie the game but missed the front end of a one-and-one. FDU then could not get a defensive rebound, as Sacred Heart was able to collect two on the offensive glass to help run clock.

Senior Sidney Sanders Jr. (Charleston, S.C./Burke) led the Knights with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week Matt MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) and graduate student Scooter Gillette (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) each added 13 points.

FDU cooled off considerably in the second half (32.3 percent, 10-of-21, 1-of-8 from three) after knocking down 48 percent (12-of-25) of its shots over the opening 20 minutes, including 7-of-11 from behind the arc. The Knights finished at 39.3 percent (22-of-56) from the floor, 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from long distance and 75 percent (15-of-20) at the free throw line.

The FDU defense held the Pioneers to 33.9 percent (21-of-62), a season best defensively for the Knights, and 5-of-14 from three-point range, but Sacred Heart cashed in at the charity stripe, as it connected on 24-of-27 (88.9 percent), including 14-of-15 in the second half.

LIU Brooklyn
2013-14 Season: 5-10 (0-2 NEC)
When: Thursday, Jan. 16 - 7 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn, N.Y. (Steinberg Wellness Center)
Series History: LIU leads 48-47
Last Meeting: February 16, 2013 – LIU 92 FDU 67
What You Need To Know: The Blackbirds have won 11 straight in the series, with FDU last winning, 74-73, on Jan. 20, 2007 in Brooklyn. The three-time defending NEC champions have been bitten by the injury bug this season but still feature five players averaging in double figures. Senior Jason Brickman runs the show for LIU. The all-time assists leader in conference play leads the nation with 9.8 dimes per game and adds 11.7 points per game. Landon Atterberry is the Blackbirds' leading scorer at 12.9 points per game, while E.J. Reed chips in 11.8 points and a team-best 4.8 rebounds per game. LIU's second-leading scorer, Gerrell Martin (11.9 ppg), will not play because of an injury.

Up Next
FDU will have a quick turnaround to host Bryant at Stratis Arena for a 3 p.m. NEC contest on Saturday, Jan. 18.