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HACKENSACK, N.J. - The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team hosts Howard on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Rothman Center. It will be the last game for the Knights before the Christmas holiday and a week before Northeast Conference play starts with Saint Francis U on December 29. 

QUICK HITTERS
The game against Howard starts a three-game home stand for the Knights to wrap up the 2016 calendar and marks the end of non-conference play for Fairleigh Dickinson 

The Knights have had five different players lead them in scoring over the last five games; Courtney Blankenship added her name to the list after leading the Knights at Saint Peter's

FDU has made at least five 3-pointers or more in five straight games; the Knights did not do that in more than two straight games last season

SERIES SCORE
Howard and Fairleigh Dickinson will meet for the seventh time on Thursday afternoon. Howard won the last meeting back in the 2011-12 season 66-56 here in Hackensack. That win ended the Knights' four-game winning streak in the series. The first meeting between the two schools came back in the 1981-82 season.  

FDU VS. THE MEAC
All-time the Knights are 15-11 against members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Knights' loss to Howard back in 2011-12 was the last time FDU faced an MEAC school. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Knights held a 32-30 lead at halftime against Saint Peter's but a five-minute scoring drought to end the third quarter and start the fourth allowed the Peacocks to lead 46-40 and never look back. The Knights would not get any closer than six for the rest of the night. Saint Peter's closed the game on a 19-3 run to win 65-43 and make it seven straight losses for Fairleigh Dickinson.

ABOUT HOWARD
Howard enters with an identical 2-8 record as Fairleigh Dickinson. The Bison have lost back-to-back games to NJIT and Illinois-Chicago after beating Mount St. Mary's 95-62 on December 10. The Bison's other win also came against a NEC school in St. Francis Brooklyn, 78-63, on November 30. Te'Shya Heslip leads the team in scoring at 17.9 per game. Sydni Johnson is also in double figures at 10.3 per contest. Imani Bryant is the leading rebounder at 8.3 per game for Howard. 

CLEANING THE GLASS
FDU is third in rebounds per game and third in the NEC in total rebounds at 311 this season. The Knights grab 15.4 OREB per game, which 1st in the NEC and top 40 nationally. 

NEC RANKS
Scoring offense – 5th (58.7)
Scoring defense - 5th (69.3)
FT percentage - 7th (67.2%)
Field goal percentage – 6th (35.1%)
3FG percentage – 9th (27.1%)
FG% defense – 5th (40.9%)
3FG% defense - 4th (32.9%)
Rebounding offense - T2 (38.8)
Rebounding margin – 2nd (-1.1)
Total Rebounds - T2 (388)
Assists per game – 6th (11.6)
Blocks – 9th (2.3 per game)
Steals per game – 3rd (8.3)
Turnover Margin – 4th(-1.6)
Turnovers per game - 1st (21.4)
Turnovers forced per game - 1st (19.8)
Assist/Turnover Ratio – 8th (0.54) 

40 IS THE NEW COOL
In both of FDU's wins, this season the Knights have grabbed at least 40 rebounds (58 v Longwood & 40 at NJIT). The Knights have only done that once since; 45 at Monmouth.

WILL TAKE THAT OFF YOU HANDS
The Knights are first in the NEC in turning over their opposition at 19.8 forced turnovers per game. That mark is 63rd best in DI. 

BEING DEFENSIVE
The Knights have a defensive rating of 92.5 so far this season, based on points allowed per 100 possessions. A rate of 100 pts/possessions is average. By that rating, the Knights are the third-best defensive team in the NEC. The biggest difference from last season being, FDU is forcing 4 more turnovers per game so far compared to last season.