HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team takes to the road for the first time in Northeast Conference play this weekend when the Knights travel to Wagner on Saturday (1 p.m.) and Mount St. Mary's (7 p.m.) on Monday. The Knights are 8-5 overall and 0-2 in NEC play entering the weekend.
QUICK HITTERS
Fairleigh Dickinson has already equaled last season's win total with eight.
FDU is 0-2 in NEC for the second straight season and the fourth time in the last five years.
The Knights open the road portion of their NEC schedule at Wagner; just like last season. FDU won that matchup. FDU was 3-6 on the road last year in NEC play plus a loss in the NEC Tournament.
The Knights had not lost back-to-back games this season before last weekend's setbacks to Robert Morris and Saint Francis U.
FDU is 4-0 when it scores 70 or more points. The Knights have not scored 70+ since beating Monmouth 78-61 back on 12/6. The Knights are 2-3 in the five games since.
SERIES SCORE
Fairleigh Dickinson is 38-34 all-time against Wagner and has won three of four in the series. FDU is 16-16 all-time at Wagner and has won two straight seasons inside the Spiro Sports Center. The Knights have only lost twice on Staten Island an three times overall against the Seahawks since the 2005-2006 campaign.
LAST TIME OUT
FDU was down just four to Saint Francis U at halftime on Sunday. However, the Red Flash scored 44 points after halftime--25 in the fourth--to pull away and win 80-56. SFU got 20 second-half points from Jessica Kovatch, who finished with a game-high 24. Fairleigh Dickinson gave up the ball 27 times, and Saint Francis U converted those into 30 points. Peniel M'Bikata had a career-high 14 points. Amina Markovic also had 14 points for the Knights. After being held scoreless against Robert Morris, Madelynn Comly added 12. The Knights got as close as eight early in the fourth; before the Red Flash closed the game on a 25-9 run over the final 8:16.
ABOUT WAGNER
The Seahawks--picked 10th in the NEC Preseason Poll--sit at 3-10 overall and 1-1 to start NEC play entering Saturday's matchup. Wagner opened NEC play with a win over Bryant, who was picked third in the preseason poll, before falling at Central Connecticut on Sunday, 59-56. Wagner's other two wins came over College of Staten Island (DIII) and Longwood, who FDU beat by 20. Sierra Clark is the leading scorer for Wagner at 17.1 per game, which is second in the NEC. Clark is also second in the league in rebounding at 8.9 a game and first in blocks at 2.5-- the only player over 2 per game.
ABOUT MOUNT ST. MARY'S
The Mountaineers are 5-8 overall and 2-0 in NEC play entering the weekend. The Mount host Sacred Heart on Saturday before hosting Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday night and are winners of three straight. Three players for the Mountaineers are averaging double figures; Ashlee White (12.6), Kayla Agentowicz (11.3), and Katrice Dickson (10.4). Three players also average over four rebounds per game and two assists a game.
AMERICAN TOP 40
FDU is 37th in Division I in 3-point shooting at 36.9-percent. The Knights have had four games where they have hit over 40-percent from behind the arc.
HITTING THE BACKBOARDS
FDU leads the NEC in rebounding margin in league play after two games of action. FDU finished the opening weekend +8.0 on the glass.
FREE POINTS!!
FDU also topped the NEC in free throw shooting at 79.5-percent against Robert Morris and Saint Francis U. That was aided by FDU making 30 free throws against the Colonials back on December 29.
