HACKENSACK, N.J. – Fresh off its historic win Saturday, the Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team returns to action Monday night, going to Wagner for a 7 p.m., tip-off in the Spiro Sports Center.
 
The game will be streamed live for free on NEC Front Row, and live stats will be available at wagnerathletics.com.
 
ENTERING THE KNIGHT
The Knights (4-10, 1-2 NEC) led for the majority of Saturday's 74-67 victory over Central Connecticut State, picking up the first NEC win of the season as well as the 500th all-time win in program history. The Knights shot 48 percent from the field and 91 percent from the charity stripe (21-of-23) in the game and had three players in double figures, led by junior Lauren Francillon with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Senior Natalie Zamora matched her season-high of 15 points to go with four assists, and senior Peniel M'Bikata contributed 12 points and five steals.
 
HISTORY MADE
The Knights now have 500 wins in 1,176 games as a varsity women's basketball program. The program first competed in 1977. Over the course of program history, the Knights have won 215 NEC games and 122 games in head coach Peter Cinella's tenure. Two of those wins include NEC championship victories in 1990 and 1992.
 
FRANCILLON'S BIG NIGHT
Francillon reached a new career high in points vs. CCSU, recording the first 30-point effort by a Knight since 2016 (Amina Markovic vs. SFU). It was also the best field goal percentage (10-of-12, 83.3 percent) with at least 10 makes by a Knight since 2000 and the most consecutive free throws (11) made in a game by a Knight since 2014 (Kelsey Cruz, 15-of-15). Her 16 rebounds were also the most by a Knight this season and provided her the seventh double-double of her career (first this season). Francillon now leads the Knights in points per game (10.8) and rebounds per game (6.1). Over her last six games, Francillon has averaged 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and is a perfect 19-for-19 at the free throw line.
 
BLOCK PARTY
The Knights are one of the best shot-blocking teams in the NEC, ranking second in blocks per game (3.9) behind only SFU. Sophomore Madison Stanley leads the team with 14 blocks and averages 1.0 block per game. Francillon has 11 blocks this season (0.8 per game) and freshman Lindsey Mack is tied with LIU freshman Brandy Thomas for most blocks by a NEC freshman (nine). The Knights have recorded at least four blocks in nine of 14 games this season.
 
MASTER THIEVES
Senior Natalie Zamora leads the NEC in steals per game, averaging 2.3 pilfers. Zamora has reached a season-high of four steals twice this season (vs. NJIT, at Stony Brook) and has recorded at least two steals in 11 of 14 games this season. Senior Peniel M'Bikata is fourth in the NEC with 1.9 steals per game, tying her season-high with five swipes against CCSU. As a team, the Knights are second in the league with 9.6 steals per game, and have at least seven steals in nine of 14 games this season with a season-high of 21 (vs. Rutgers-Newark and vs. Georgian Court).
 
SERIES SCORE
FDU leads the all-time series with Wagner, 39-35, in a series that began in 1978. The Seahawks are the opponent the Knights have face the most often in program history. The Knights won both matchups last season, defeating the Seahawks on the road 74-64 before earning a 62-61 home win in the last meeting. Fairleigh Dickinson has won 17 of 20 games against Wagner in Cinella's tenure and have earned wins in five of the last six meetings overall. The Knights have won each of the last three meetings on Staten Island and is 17-16 all-time when playing Wagner on the road.
 
SCOUTING WAGNER
The Seahawks (3-11, 1-2 NEC) dropped an 80-68 decision Saturday against Sacred Heart after earning their first NEC win of the season at CCSU the previous Monday. Redshirt sophomore Taylah Simmons, who led the team with 16 points and eight rebounds vs. Sacred Heart, is averaging 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to lead the team, and senior Nakylia Carter averages 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Wagner is 1-4 at home this season and picked up non-conference wins against Longwood and College of Staten Island. The Seahawks were picked 10th in the NEC preseason poll.
 
AROUND THE NEC
The Knights were the only home team to win Saturday's round of NEC games, and three teams remained unbeaten through three games (Sacred Heart, Robert Morris, Saint Francis U) by earning road victories. Sacred Heart looks to stay unbeaten when facing Bryant at home, while SFU and Robert Morris are on the road against St. Francis Brooklyn and LIU Brooklyn, respectively. Two winless teams, CCSU and Mount St. Mary's, square off in the final matchup in search of their first NEC win of the season.