HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team continues its three-game homestand on Saturday night when it welcomes in-state foe NJIT to the Rothman Center.

Game 9
Fairleigh Dickinson (4-4, 0-0 NEC)
vs NJIT (10-2, 0-0 ASUN)
Date: Saturday, December 15
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Stratis Arena (Rothman Center)
Coverage: NEC Front Row | Live Stats
Talent: Sitesh Shah and Darryl Jacobs

All-Time Series...1-4
at FDU...1-2
Knights Streak...L4
Last Meeting..NJIT 71, FDU 68 (12/16/17)
The Highlanders scored 10 of the game's final 13 points and survived Darian Anderson's game-tying three-point attempt to escape with the win. Anderson, who led all scorers with 18 points in the loss, had a game-tying look from 22 feet away but it caromed out as time expired. The Knights led by two with 1:50 to play, however, the Highlanders netted the game's final five points to take the victory. Four Knights scored in double figures including Darnell Edge with 14 and junior forward Mike Holloway Jr., who had 13 and eight boards. Jahlil Jenkins scored 10 and dished out seven assists to go along with a 2-for-3 performance from downtown. The West Virginia native totaled two steals including a crucial theft in the final minute, which gave the Knights their first game-tying opportunity. The Knights shot 48.3 percent from the field and 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) from downtown, while the Highlanders finished at 44.8 percent overall and 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) from behind the arc.

Opening Tip

• The Knights began their three-game homestand with a nine-point win over Army West Point on Wednesday night. With the win, they improved to 3-1 inside the Rothman Center this season.
• The Burgundy and Blue finished their three games against the Patriot League with a 1-2 mark.
• Allowing 70.1 points per game this season, the Knights currently lead the NEC in scoring defense. its the fewest since the 1999-00 season (63.6).
• Spearheading the defensive effort this season is an NEC-best 8.8 steals per game rate, which ranks 28th nationally.
• Up next for FDU is the final non-conference home game of the slate as they host Saint Peter's on Wednesday night.
• Senior guard Darnell Edge sits just 12 points shy of 1,000 for his career

The Coaches

• Head Coach Greg Herenda is in his sixth season at the helm of the Knights. Last season, the Knights enjoyed their third consecutive .500 or better season in NEC play as Herenda led the team to a 9-9 conference mark. Under Herenda, the Knights have qualified for the NEC Tournament in four of his five seasons.
• Brian Kennedy begins his third season as head coach of NJIT men's basketball after serving as NJIT's top assistant for four seasons (2012-16). Entering the 2018-19 season, the Highlanders have posted a 95-92 (.508) record since Kennedy's addition to the coaching staff in 2012. The Kennedy family business, the Hoop Group, began in the Trenton, NJ, CYO in 1963 with summer basketball camps and eventually grew into one of the largest amateur basketball groups in the nation featuring future NBA stars along the way. Kennedy played one season for Princeton before moving on to Monmouth where he graduated in 1990.

Scouting NJIT
The Highlanders enter Saturday's contest in the midst of a three-game winning streak, including wins a pair of home wins over Army and St. Francis Brooklyn and a road victory at Fordham. They have now posted 10 wins faster than in any other season in their 97-year history and are one of just five teams in Division-I to have reached double figures in victories. In the win over Fordham this past Tuesday, defense was front and center. The Highlanders held the Rams to two points over the final 5:55 to squeak out a 53-50 win in a defensive battle at Fordham on Tuesday.  Sophomore guard Zach Cooks spearheads the Highlander attack and leads the ASUN with 18.8 points per game and 97 made 3-pointers. He also ranks second in the NCAA in total steals with 32 this season. In the front court, 6-foot-10 forward Abdul Lewis is averaging 11 points and eight rebounds per contest and has blocked a team-high 11 shots. The Highlanders are holding opponents to just 66.2 points per game and are making 16.7 free throws per contest.

​​Knights Last Time Out
All five starters scored in double figures as the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team defeated Army West Point 93-84 at the Rothman Center on Wednesday night.

Senior guard Darnell Edge led all scorers with 24 points and knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers on the night, while sophomore forward Elyjah Williams enjoyed a career-high 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting to go along with eight boards and four blocks in the win.

Sophomore point guard Jahlil Jenkins filled up the box score with 19 points, nine rebounds (career-high) and seven assists, while converting all seven of his free throw attempts.
Joining the trio in double figures were sophomore guard Xzavier Malone-Key with 13 points, four rebounds and four helpers and senior forward Mike Holloway Jr., who finished with 10 points and eight boards in the victory.

The Knights (4-4) shot 52.5 percent on the night including a 57 percent rate in the second half. In addition, the team buried 12 shots from long range for the third time this season and nabbed a season-high 12 steals.

Herenda's Thoughts
"It is a privilege to play Army and it was an honor to win this game. We have so much respect for those guys for so many reasons and tonight, Army just kept coming and coming. I give our kids so much credit for matching their runs with some big runs of our own. That was a great program win for our team and our university."

"To again have five guys score in double figures and have 19 assists is a credit to our guys being unselfish and committed to team. Jahlil has so much heart -- to be the leading rebounder is amazing. You add Darnell and Xzavier to the equation and we have an exciting group. Very quietly, Mike Holloway got back to being Mike Holloway and Elyjah Williams was immense tonight. All in all, that was a very solid win against a very well-coached, hard-playing Army team." 

Next Up
The Knights conclude their non-conference home slate on Wednesday, December 19 against Saint Peter's.