Game 30
NEC Tournament Quarterfinals
No. 6 Fairleigh Dickinson (12-17, 9-9 NEC)
at
No. 3 Saint Francis U Red Flash (18-11, 12-6 NEC)
Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: DeGol Arena - Loretto, Pa.
Coverage: NEC Front Row | Live Stats 

NEC Tournament Headquarters

The Series...The all-time series is tied at 45-45
at SFU..FDU 14, SFU 32
Last Five...FDU 2, SFU 3
Streak... L3
Last Meeting...FDU 82, SFU 90 (2/22/18 at FDU)
Opening Tip: Tonight's contest features the third meeting between these teams this season. The Red Flash have won both games this season including an eight-point win six days ago in Hackensack. 
<> The Knights will enter the NEC Tournament as the six seed for the second straight time after posting back-to-back 9-9 NEC campaigns. The Red Flash return to the NEC Tournament after earning a No. 4 seed last season, when they lost in the NEC Championship Game at Mount St. Mary's. 
<> The Knights enter this year's tourney having won five of their last seven including a three-point victory over Bryant in their regular-season finale last Thursday. 
<> Freshman guard Jahlil Jenkins earned NEC Rookie of the Week honors for the second time this season after averaging 21 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last week. Teammate Noah Morgan was named an NEC Prime Performer with 18 ppg and 5 rpg.
<> The Knights rank third in the NEC in steals and blocked shots and will look to turn up the defense on Saturday as they face the conference's top offense. SFU is first in the NEC at 47.1% from the field and tops in points per game at 79.8. Both teams excel at the charity stripe with SFU (1st) 76.4% FT and FDU (3rd) 72.9%.
<> The Red Flash have won five straight including an 80-60 rout of Robert Morris last Saturday. Sophomore guard Keith Braxton was named NEC Player of the Week for the third time on Monday after averaging 23.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.5 apg and 3.5 spg. 

All-NEC: The Knights had a program-record four players recognized as All-Northeast Conference on Tuesday afternoon led by Mike Holloway Jr., who garnered All-NEC Second Team Honors. Junior guard Darnell Edge was named All-NEC Third Team, while freshmen Jahlil Jenkins and Noah Morgan were tabbed All-NEC Rookie Team.

Saint Francis logged three honorees including first-team selections Keith Braxton and Jamaal King as well as the NEC Most Improved Player Andre Wolford.

Knights vs Red Flash
Last Five Meetings:
2/22/18: FDU 82, SFU 90 (at FDU)
2/1/18: FDU 60, SFU 74 (at SFU)
2/25/17: FDU 64, SFU 70 (at SFU)
12/29/16: FDU 77, SFU 65 (at FDU)
3/2/16: FDU 74, SFU 72 (at FDU)

Last Meeting Recap: 

The Knights led by 12 points in the first half but could not hold off the explosive offense of the Red Flash, who took control of the contest and finished at 51.7 percent from the field in the win. Junior guard Darnell Edge topped four Knights in double figures with 21 points and freshman guard Jahlil Jenkins matched his career-high point total of 20 as the two players combined to convert all 11 of their free throws. As a team, the Knights took care of business at the charity stripe by connecting on 21-of-23 (91.3 percent). Freshman forward Noah Morgan made all four of his chances at the line and scored 19 to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Keith Braxton filled up the box score with a game-high 27 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks to pace the Red Flash. Braxton knocked down 8-of-14 from the field and 11-of-13 at the line. Junior guard Andre Wolford hurt the Knights from behind the arc by connecting on five of the team's eight 3-pointers and finished with 21 points on 8-of-14 from the floor.

 
Knights Postseason Notes

The Knights secured the No. 6 seed in the NEC Tournament for the second straight season and have now qualified for three straight conference tournaments. Head Coach Greg Herenda has led his team to a .500 or better record in NEC play in each of those three seasons as the team posted its second straight 9-9 NEC campaign.

This is the Knights' 30th NEC Tournament appearance and fourth in Greg Herenda's five seasons. 

The Knights' 2016 NEC Championship run began with a home game against Saint Francis U where the Knights defeated the Red Flash 74-72. 

The Knights and Red Flash have met four times in the NEC postseason

3/3/89 FDU 74-64 (at FDU)
2/27/90 FDU 65-62 (at SFU)
3/2/91 SFU 97-82 (at SFU)
3/2/16 FDU 74-72 (at FDU)

Fairleigh Dickinson is second with 30 appearances across the 37 NEC postseason tournaments. Robert Morris has qualified for the most in league history, 34, since the inception of the conference in 1982.

FDU owns the longest consecutive NEC Tournament qualification streak with 18 straight appearances from 1984-01.

FDU also holds the league record for consecutive NEC semifinal appearances with nine in a row from 1983-91.

In 2016, Fairleigh Dickinson became the first school to win the NEC crown after failing to qualify for the tourney the previous year (when eligible).

FDU has won NEC Tournaments in 1985, 1988, 1998, 2005 and 2016. The five NEC Tournament championships are tied with LIU Brooklyn for third all-time behind Robert Morris' eight titles.

FDU is 30-24 all-time in the NEC Tournament and has reached the finals ten times (5-5).

FDU is 15-10 all-time in NEC quarterfinal/first round games, 10-8 in the semifinals, and 5-5 in championship games.

The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to the semifinals with opponent, location and time to be determined.