Game 6
Fairleigh Dickinson (3-2) vs. Princeton (1-3)
Date: Sunday, November 26, 2017
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Stratis Arena (Rothman Center) – Hackensack, N.J.
Coverage: NEC Front Row 
Talent: Sitesh Shah and Darryl Jacobs


The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team will look to close out a perfect four-game homestand when Princeton comes to town on Sunday afternoon.

The Series...Princeton leads 2-1
at Home...1-0
Last Meeting...Princeton 91, FDU 61
(11/30/15 at Jadwin Gymnasium - Princeton, N.J.)
The Knights (2-5) were led by 13 points from sophomore Darian Anderson in the 91-61 setback. The Tigers (4-0) were led by Henry Caruso who scored a game-high 27 points. Princeton used a 51.9% (14-of-27) second period shooting performance to pull away from the Knights after leading by 15 at the half. Princeton shot 52.5% (31-of-59) from the field and 37.5% (9-of-24) from three.  The Knights were 32.2% (19-59) from the field and 4-of-11 from beyond the arc.  Both teams shot below 60% at the free throw line. In the first half, a quick start for the Knights was erased by solid shooting and strong rebounding.  FDU led 12-5 with 15:29 left in the half, but Princeton used a 10-2 run to take a 15-14 lead less than four minutes later.  The teams traded baskets and the lead over the ensuing five minutes before Princeton pulled away late in the period with three-point shooting.  The Tigers were just 5-of-15 from beyond the arc in the period, but all five came in the final seven minutes of the half.

The Knights: FDU shot 62.5 percent in the second half and sprinted past Holy Cross for a 78-67 victory on Wednesday afternoon at the Rothman Center. The Knights blitzed the Crusaders (2-2) with a 10-0 run in the second half, which spanned 1:10 and was highlighted by a vicious dunk from freshman forward Elyjah Williams, which resulted in a 65-63 lead at the five-minute mark. From that point on, the momentum continued as the Knights ran away with the victory. Four Knights scored in double figures led by junior guard Darnell Edge, who netted a game-high 23 points and dished out six assists in his 39 minutes of action. Mike Holloway Jr. recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Darian Anderson scored 17 to go along with six assists in the win. The Knights overcame 19 turnovers by out-rebounding the Crusaders 37-27. Holloway and Williams each nabbed three offensive boards in the win, which contributed to 16 second-chance points for the home team. An old-fashioned, three-point play by Edge began the turnaround. Just over two minutes later, the junior guard tied the game with a corner 3-pointer, which brought the crowd to its feet.On the ensuing possession, the Knights full-court pressure led to a steal by Anderson. Anderson dribbled in and found Elyjah Williams -- who was barreling down the lane – for the emphatic slam. Williams' dunk gave the Knights a 67-65 lead and sparked the game-changing run. The freshman forward finished with 11 points and six rebounds in the game.

Herenda's postgame quotes - "We are very thankful to come out of here with a win today. Early, we had no answers for Holy Cross' defense but we just hung in there and then the magic happened in the second half.  "We still have to take care of the ball much better -- but when we do -- offensively this team is limitless. Darnell and Darian are a great one-two punch that are really hard to handle. Again, 17 assists and winning the rebound game were crucial."

The Tigers: Princeton is coming off a 14-0 Ivy League season, which culminated in a conference championship and the team's 25^th NCAA Tournament appearance. After dropping their first three games (@ Butler 75-85, vs BYU 56-65 and @ St. Joseph's 58-71) the Tigers earned their first win of the season with a 60-46 victory over Lafayette at Jadwin Gymnasium on Wednesday night. Princeton scored 15 straight points around the midway point of the second half and kept Lafayette off the board for nearly four and a half minutes as the Tigers pulled away from the Leopards. Devin Cannady led Princeton with 17 points, continuing his run of putting up double figures in every game on the young season. More on Princeton

NEC Leaders: Through five games, the Knights are leading the conference in points per game, scoring margin, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, 3-point field goal percentage, assists and steals.

Dish it Out: The Knights have 15+ assists in four of their five games this season. Last year the team reached 15 helpers in eight of its 30 games resulting in a 6-2 record. The Knights are currently 40th in the nation in assists per game. In the lopsided win over FDU-Florham on November 15, the Knights totaled 27 assists. That total is the most in a game since the team dished out 28 helpers in a 122-115 overtime loss to LIU Brooklyn back on February 23, 2002.

Darnell's Delight: In a career-high 39 minutes against Holy Cross, junior guard Darnell Edge poured in a career-best 23 points as the Knights topped the Patriot League's Crusaders. Now in his first season as a regular starter, Edge has excelled, averaging 14.6 points and two steals per game.

Herenda History: Greg Herenda's win over Holy Cross on Wednesday was his 50th with the Knights and 175th as a head coach. Across his time with the Knights, Herenda has logged five wins over Final Four programs; Holy Cross, Princeton, Rutgers, Seton Hall and St. Joseph's. He's the fourth FDU head coach to reach 50 wins with the program.

Blistering Start: Freshman wing Noah Morgan has burst onto the scene with the Knights this season. Expected to be a defensive stalwart with his 6'5" frame and outstanding length, however, Morgan's offense has been the story. The Mount Vernon, NY native has knocked down 9-of-12 (75%) from three-point range, 16-of-25 (64%) from the field and 6-of-7 (85.7%) from the line. In his two starts this season, he's averaged 11.5 points and six rebounds.

Points Aplenty: The Knights dominated a pair of Division III opponents last week, topping FDU-Florham 111-49 and Kean 94-55. The 206 combined points are the most ever by the Knights in back-to-back games.

Home Sweet Home: The Knights close out a stretch of four straight home games and the longest homestand for the team since 2013 on Sunday. They're 3-0 heading into Sunday's final game. Following the tilt with the Tigers, the team will spend the final seven games of 2017 on the road.

Up Next: The Knights set out on their longest road set of the season, which spans seven games and begins at Saint Peter's next Wednesday, November 29. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Jersey City, N.J.