HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team closes out the home portion of its non-conference slate on Wednesday night when they host Saint Peter's at the Rothman Center.

Game 10
Fairleigh Dickinson (4-5, 0-0 NEC)
vs Saint Peter's (2-8, 0-0 MAAC)
Date: Wednesday, December 19
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...15-43
at FDU...9-7
Knights Streak...L2
Last Five..1-4
Last Meeting..NJIT 77, FDU 53 (11/29/17)
Darian Anderson poured in a season-high 21 points in last season's matchup at the Yanitelli Center. The Knights, who entered the game with the 22^nd highest field goal percentage in the country (51.4 percent) were limited to just 26.8 percent by the Peacocks. In addition, to the overall field goal percentage, the Knights connected on only 5-of-24 (20.8 percent) from behind the arc, while the home Peacocks knocked down 11-of-26 (42.3 percent) from behind the arc and 46.9 percent overall. The Peacocks also dominated on the glass, out-rebounding the Knights 49-31 in the contest. The Knights did an excellent job of getting to the free throw line, connecting on 18-of-26 (69.2 percent) compared to just eight attempts for the home team. Defensively, FDU came up with nine steals but lost the turnover battle 16-12. Five Peacocks scored in double figures with Nick Griffin leading the charge with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. Samuel Idowu connected on 6-of-12 shots, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, finishing with 16 points to go along with eight rebounds.
 
Opening Tip

• The Knights conclude their three-game homestand on Wednesday night against the Peacocks after splitting their first two games.Wednesday's game marks the final home non-conference game this season for FDU.
• Spearheading an improved defensive performance by FDU this season is an NEC-best 8.2 steals per game rate, which ranks 47^th in the nation.
• In Saturday's loss to NJIT, Senior guard Darnell Edge became the 28^th Knight to eclipse 1,000 career points. He currently ranks sixth in the NEC with 17.2 points per game and first in minutes (35.6/g) 
• Sophomore guard Jahlil Jenkins current leads the NEC and ranks 17^th in the nation in Free throw percentage at 91.1 percent.
• Up next for FDU is a road test at UMass. The Holloway brothers Mike and Rashaan will square off in that one for the first time in their careers.

 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.
• Shaheen Holloway is in his first season at the helm of the Peacocks after eight seasons on the bench of his alma mater, Seton Hall. Holloway helped Seton Hall advance to the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons and in 2018, the Pirates won the program's first NCAA Tournament game since 2004 with him on the bench. The Queens, NY native was a McDonald's All-American who played at St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, NJ and went on to play in the Sweet 16 at Seton Hall.

Scouting Saint Peter's
The Peacocks enter Wednesday's contest having dropped three straight, including the last two to a pair of NEC teams (LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn). Last time out, the Peacocks squandered a late second-half lead, resulting in a 56-53 defeat to the Terriers. The Peacocks led the entire second half, giving up the go-ahead point with just 13.3 seconds left in the contest. Four Peacocks scored in double figures resulting in all 53 of the team's points. Davauhnte Turner scored a team-high 19 points and leads the team with 15.8 points per game this season. The team's defense has been its calling card this season as it currently leads the MAAC in field goal defense (44 percent) and ranks fifth in points allowed per game (74.8)
 
Knights Last Time Out
Darnell Edge registered his 1,000^th career point but the Knights fell 90-80 at home to NJIT (11-2).  Edge, who netted the milestone point on one of his signature step-back jump shots, finished with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the loss. By eclipsing the 1,000-point mark, Edge became just the 28^th Knight to accomplish the feat, joining teammate Mike Holloway Jr., who reached the mark last season.
 
Three Knights joined Edge in double figures as sophomore guard Jahlil Jenkins finished with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds, while junior forward Kaleb Bishop scored a season-high 16 points with six rebounds and three blocks. For the second straight outing, senior Mike Holloway Jr. finished with 10 points.
 
The Highlanders, who have now won four straight, were led by Zach Cooks' 25-point, seven-rebound effort and Abdul Lewis, who recorded a double-double for the road team by totaling 20 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
 
The free throw line proved vital for NJIT as they connected on 31-of-35 (88.6 percent) at the charity stripe. The Highlanders also outrebounded the Burgundy and Blue 38-25 and shot 50 percent overall. The Knights hit 46.6 percent from the field but were unable to overcome a 14-7 disparity in second-chance points and a 14-point gap at the free throw line.
 
Coach Herenda's Thoughts
"Hats off to NJIT – they are playing great basketball right now. They are a very good Atlantic Sun team that we battled but we have nothing to be ashamed of tonight. We just were never able to get into any kind of defensive rhythm tonight and we literally lost the game at the foul line. We had more field goals and assists and the same amount of 3-pointers but lost by 10."
 
"When the dust settles, Darnell Edge goes into the record books and there is no one that deserves that more than Darnell. I know that he wanted the win more than anything tonight but nonetheless, he will be recognized for his achievement."
 
Next Up
The Knights play their final two non-conference games on the road. First up is a date at UMass this Friday, December 21 at 3:30 p.m.