HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team travels to Smithfield, R.I. to take on the Bryant Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.

Game 20
Fairleigh Dickinson (8-11, 3-4 NEC)
at Bryant (7-11, 4-3 NEC)
Date: Saturday, January 26
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Coverage: NEC Front Row | Live Stats

The Series
All-Time Series...9-8
at Bryant..5-4
Last Five..4-1
Streak..W2
Last Meeting...Fairleigh Dickinson 87, Bryant 84 (2/24/18 at FDU)
Behind 22 points from Jahlil Jenkins, the Knights closed out the 2017-18 regular season with a three-point win over the Bulldogs.

With the win, the Knights (12-17, 9-9 NEC) clinched a .500 or better record in NEC play for the third straight season. Jenkins' blazing speed served as the catalyst in the win. The Ranson, West Virginia native's 22 points came on 9-of-12 shooting and he dished out six assists with five rebounds in the contest. As had been the calling card all season for the Knights, four players scored in double figures with Noah Morgan logging 19 on 7-of-11 shooting and Darnell Edge and Mike Holloway Jr. netting 16 and 13 points, respectively.

In addition to the pregame ceremony to honor the FDU seniors, head coach Greg Herenda and the Knights also recognized Bryant head coach Tim O'Shea, who concluded his 34-year coaching career.

Opening Tip

• The Knights have won two straight games including a narrow, two-point win over St. Francis Brooklyn last time out.
• With the win over the Terriers, the Knights improved to 6-3 at home this season and are averaging 83 points per game at the Rothman​​​​​​ Center.
• For the Burgundy and Blue to extend their win streak to three they'll have to find their third road win in 11 tries against a Bryant squad, who is 6-4 at home this season.
• Senior guard Darnell Edge is averaging 20.3 points per game over the last three on 62.9 percent shooting.
• Five Knights are averaging double figures in points for FDU in NEC play this season: Darnell Edge, Xzavier Malone-Key, Jahlil Jenkins and Mike Holloway Jr. and Kaleb Bishop. Prior to last game, the Knights were the only team in the NEC and one of only 25 in the nation averaging five double-digit scorers in overall games.
• The key to the Knights' defense this season has been their 8.4 steals per game average, which leads the NEC and ranks 30th in the nation. They also are 60th in the country in turnover margin (+2.5).

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, including a 2016 NEC Championship when the team earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament featuring the third-youngest team in the nation.
• Jared Grasso, was tabbed to lead the Bryant program  this season after most recently working for the last eight seasons at Iona, where he helped the Gaels to unparalleled success both at Iona and in the MAAC. Iona posted a record of 182-92 (.664) and a mark of 112-40 (.737) in the MAAC from 2010-18, as the Gaels staff led by Tim Cluess became the fastest to 100 MAAC wins in conference history. The Gaels made five NCAA Tournament appearances (2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) in Grasso's eight years in New Rochelle, with the 2011-12 Iona team being one of just two in MAAC history to earn an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament. A four-year starter and two-year captain at Quinnipiac as a guard, Grasso currently ranks 22^nd on the Bobcats' all-time scoring list with 1,134 career points.

Scouting Bryant
Under their first-year coach Grasso, the Bulldogs have won back-to-back NEC games and are off to a 4-3 start in conference play. After a 3-28 record last year, the Bulldogs have already eclipsed their win total with seven victories this season. The team is closing out its four-game homestand on Saturday against the Knights and has won its last two games by defeating Saint Francis U (76-67) and Central Connecticut (63-60). Four Bulldogs are scoring in double figures this season led by Adam Grant's 14.7 points per game. The team's defense has improved as of late and has held six of their last nine opponents - Dartmouth, Iowa, St. Francis Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's, Saint Francis U and Central Connecticut - to 72 points or less. Bryant has gone 5-1 in those five games. 

Knights Last Time Out
A spirited defensive effort propelled the Knights to a 60-58 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn on Thursday night at the Rothman Center.

The Knights, who held the Terriers (12-8, 4-3 NEC), to just 21 first-half points, needed to make four stops in the final minute to sustain their two-point edge and their defense came through. The 21 points are the fewest permitted by the Knights in a half this season.

Senior guard Darnell Edge led the way for the Burgundy and Blue with 18 points and matched his career-high eight rebounds on 7-of-12 from the field, while second-year point guard Jahlil Jenkins amassed 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting performance.

For the Terriers, Rosel Hurley scored a game-high 19 points and Deniz Celen and Jalen Jordan each chipped in with 16. Celen netted a double-double by corralling 10 rebounds for the Terriers, who grabbed 14 offensive boards and won the battle on the glass 35-31.

The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for St. Francis Brooklyn. The Knights, who entering Thursday night's contest were averaging nearly 85 points per game at home this season, used stingy defense to hold the Terriers to just 4-of-26 (15.4 percent) from behind the arc and 38.1 percent overall.

Coach Herenda's Thoughts
"That was a hard fought conference battle and we did just that -- battle until the final buzzer went off. We held a really good team to 58 points and some low percentages tonight and ultimately, that was the reason for our win. St. Francis is such a tough and well-coached team, we knew we had to be ready on each and every possession. I know our guys are tired and I am exhausted. Now we need to recover and make the trip to Rhode Island and get ready to win on the road. We are climbing a mountain and each step is as important as the last. I am just very proud of the heart and soul of every player on our team tonight -- that was a pivotal victory for our team."

Next Up
The Knights are back home at the Rothman Center next Thursday, January 31 to face off against LIU Brooklyn. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU and the Knights will highlight local law enforcement with a "Crime Stoppers Knight" event.