HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team opens 2019 and Northeast Conference action on Thursday night with a road test at Robert Morris.

Game 13
Fairleigh Dickinson (5-7, 0-0 NEC)
at Robert Morris (5-8, 0-0 NEC)
Date: Thursday, January 3
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: North Athletic Complex (Moon Township, Pa.)
Coverage: NEC Front Row | Live Stats | Radio

The Series
All-Time Series...32-45
at Robert Morris...12-24
Last Five..2-3
Last Meeting...FDU 73, RMU 67 (2/3/18 at RMU)
Led by Darnell Edge's 15 second-half points, the Knights topped the Colonials last season at PPG Paints Arena. After connecting on just 1-of-6 in the first half, Edge sprung to life in the second stanza scoring 15 of his team-high 18 points. The FDU guard knocked down four 3-pointers and nabbed seven rebounds in the win. The Knights, who led for most of the game, tallied 19 second-chance points thanks to 15 offensive rebounds. Kaleb Bishop scored 15 points (7-of-12 FG) and contributed to the Knights' rebounding performance by nabbing eight caroms. Three Colonials logged double figures led by sophomore guard Dachon Burke, who scored 19 with eight rebounds and five assists.

Opening Tip

• The Knights begin NEC action this weekend following a pair of close losses at UMass and South Florida.
• This year's NEC slate begins with the Western Pennsylvania trip as the Burgundy and Blue will travel to Loretto to face Saint Francis U on Saturday
• Four of the Knights' first five NEC contests are away from home.
• Head Coach Greg Herenda is a perfect 5-0 in NEC openers since arriving at FDU in 2013-14.
• Four Knights are averaging double figures in points this season: Darnell Edge, Xzavier Malone-Key, Jahlil Jenkins and Mike Holloway Jr.
• The key to the Knights' defense this season has been their 8.7 steals per game average, which leads the NEC and ranks 27^th in the nation. They also sit 86^th in the country with a +2.3 turnover margin.
• Junior forward Kaleb Bishop was named an NEC Prime Performer last week after scoring 13 points with eight rebounds and three blocked shots at South Florida.

The Coaches

• 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, including a 2016 NEC Championship when the team earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament featuring the third-youngest team in the nation.
• Andrew Toole is in his ninth season as head coach of the Colonials and boasts a 155-131 (.542) overall record, including a mark of 91-51 (.641) against Northeast Conference opponents. Toole played collegiately at both Elon and University of Pennsylvania and was an All-Ivy League First Team honoree in 2001-02. Toole, who spent one season as an assistant at Lafayette prior to three seasons as an assistant at RMU, is a New Jersey native and attended Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, N.J.

Scouting Robert Morris

The 5-8 Colonials have dropped four of their last five but defeated NCAA Division III Hood College 108-51 last time out.  The victory snapped a five-game skid for the Colonials, who earned three Division I victories in the non-conference by defeating Mississippi Valley State, Stetson and Youngstown State. This year's squad is led by senior guard Josh Williams. Williams transferred in from Akron and has had an immediate impact for the Colonials. Williams is averaging a team-high 16.1 points per game and ranks fourth in the nation with 4.1 made 3-pointers per contest. Williams gained national attention this season by tying the NCAA record with 15 made 3-pointers against Mount Aloysius. As a team, the Colonials force 16 turnovers per game, which is tops in the NEC and ranks 50^th nationally. Senior guard Matty McConnell leads the defensive effort with 30 steals, which also ranks first in the conference and 30^th in the country.

Knights Last Time Out
The Knights rallied from 17 points down but ultimately could not pull out the victory, falling 60-54 to South Florida at the Yuengling Center on Saturday afternoon.

The Burgundy and Blue erased a 10-point halftime deficit and held a one-point lead with under four minutes to play but the Bulls (10-2) managed to escape with their sixth win in a row Trailing 54-52 with 1:25 to play, Edge leaned in and banked home a jump shot to tie the game, however, it would result in the Knights' final bucket of the afternoon.

With 25 ticks remaining, Edge appeared to put the Knights in front but his basket was waived off as Jenkins was charged with an illegal screen, which gave the Bulls possession. Down by two with 12 seconds to go, Edge earned a clean look from a step beyond the NBA 3-point line but it was off the mark and the Bulls closed the game out at the free throw line.

Edge finished with 13 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Kaleb Bishop also netted 13 to go along with eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Xzavier Malone-Key and Mike Holloway Jr. scored 10 apiece in the loss as the Knights totaled four players in double figures for the ninth time this season. Reigning American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week, Alexis Yetna spearheaded the Bulls' 47-27 advantage on the glass by grabbing 16 rebounds to go along with 16 points in the win.

In addition to the rebounding differential, the Burgundy and Blue were unable to overcome the large disparity at the free throw line as they took just five free throws compared to the Bulls' 30 attempts.

Coach Herenda's Thoughts
"This team has grown up so much over the last two weeks and it hurts because we don't have the wins to prove it. We had leads late in A-10 and American Conference arenas but have just come a few key possessions short. Now it's time to get some rest and get ready for the NEC battles ahead. We somehow have four of our first five on the road but we have shown historically that we are a very good road team in our conference. At the end of the day, I am just proud to coach this group -- they leave everything on the floor."

Next Up
The Knights visit Saint Francis U at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, January 5.

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