CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball will play three times in this weekend in Chapel Hill, North Carolina as part of the 2015 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Challenge. The Knights will face host North Carolina on Friday at 6 p.m., Yale on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Iona on Sunday at 1 p.m.

OPENING TIP
Fairleigh Dickinson hits the road for the first time in 2015-16 with a trip to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Challenge. It is the second time in last three years that the Knights will compete in an early season tournament-competed at the FIU Fun in the Sun back in the 2013-14 campaign.

SERIES SCORE
The Knights and Tar Heels have just one time prior to Friday. That came back in the 1983-84 season with North Carolina winning 76-69. The Knights are 1-9 all-time against current ACC members, the lone win coming at home against Boston College in 83-84, 72-68. Yale and Fairleigh Dickinson have met four times with the Knights hold a 3-1 series led. Yale did win the last meeting back in 2011-12, 80-51.Against Iona, the Knights are 4-3 all-time. The two sides have not met since the 1989-90 season.

LAST TIME OUT
FDU dropped its season-opener to Manhattan 85-78 on Saturday at home at the Stratis Arena. The Knights led by 12 in the second quarter and led at the half but were outscored 27-7 in the third by the Jaspers and never recovered. Kelsey Cruz (Chester, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) scored a career-high 41 and Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) had her 44th career double-double (18 and 11).

RETURNING SCORING
The Knights are one of two teams to return two players that averaged at least 18 a game last season. Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) averaged 18.5 and Kelsey Cruz (Chester, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) at 18.1. Ohio State is the other with Kelsey Mitchell at 24.9 and Ameryst Alston at 19.8.

HOME COOKING
FDU will hope to take advantage of the seven home non-conference games this season. The Knights also have an eight-game home stand from December 9 through January 6.

PRESEASON POLL
FDU was picked 4th in the NEC Preseason Poll, as voted on by the coaches. It is the highest preseason ranking under Pete Cinella and highest since 1993-94.

PRESEASON ALL-NEC
Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) was tabbed Preseason All-NEC after averaging a double-double last season (18 and 10). The redshirt-senior was the NEC Defensive POTY, First Team All-NEC and a member of the NEC All-Defensive Team last season.

1,000 POINTS & COUNTING
Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) and Kelsey Cruz (Chester, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) passed the 1,000-point milestone last season. Cruz needs just 11 points to move into 13th all-time and Livermore is 109 points from 5th.

3/4 POINTS RETURN
Knights return 77.1% (51.2 ppg) of their scoring from a season ago.

NEW POINT
The graduation of Amanda Andrades (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) and her 175 assists (5.8 apg) and 36.8 minutes leave a big hole for the Knights. Zaynep Akgun, Natalie Zamora (Albuquerque, N.M./St. Pius X) and Madelynn Comly (Littlestown, Pa./Delone Catholic) will compete to see who gets a majority of those minutes and assists.

AMONGST THE TREES
FDU led the NEC in blocks per game last season (3.83) and was second in total blocks with 115. Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) led the Knights with 70.

NEC POTW
Senior Kelsey Cruz (Chester, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) was named NEC Player of the Week after scoring 41 points against Manhattan on Saturday. Cruz did it on 15-of-24 from the field.

DEBUTS
Three freshmen, Madelynn Comly (Littlestown, Pa./Delone Catholic), Peniel M'Bikata (Abbotsford, British Columbia/W.J. Mouat Secondary) and Natalie Zamora (Albuquerque, N.M./St. Pius X) played in their first game as Knights. Comly had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Zamora had two rebounds and a steal. M'Bikata started but played seven minutes.