MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team continues its Pennsylvania road trip with its second Northeast Conference game of the season, facing Robert Morris at 7 p.m. in the North Athletic Complex.
 
The game will be streamed for free on NEC Front Row, and live stats will be available at rmucolonials.com.
 
ENTERING THE KNIGHT
The Knights (3-9, 0-1 NEC) started their conference schedule by giving the defending league champions a bit of a scare. Though they ultimately lost 75-64, the Knights outscored Saint Francis U by a four-point margin (37-33) in the second half and had a 38-27 advantage on the boards. FDU also dished out 18 assists as a team and started the game shooting 6-of-14 from the floor in the first period. The Red Flash, however, outscored the Knights 24-11 in the second period, helping provide the margin needed to win. The Knights made their first 13 free throws in the game, finishing 14-of-15 (93.3) at the charity stripe.
 
SWEET STROKE
Freshman point guard Rachael Niles sank four three-pointers at SFU, finishing with a season-high 12 points. The four triples were the most in a game by a Knight this season. Her efforts helped the Knights make more three-pointers (8) than the NEC-leading Red Flash (7) in the game. Niles also dished out three assists for the second time this season and increased her three-point FG percentage to 35 percent (7-of-20).
 
WE STAND WITH STANLEY
Sophomore Madison Stanley totaled 11 points and seven rebounds while making all five free throw attempts and recording two blocks at SFU. Stanley is fourth in the NEC with a .487 shooting percentage and has made 22-of-24 free throws in her career (15-of-17 this season). Stanley also leads the Knights in rebounding (5.0 rpg) and blocks (13, 1.1 bpg) while averaging 7.8 ppg. Since coming off the bench vs. Georgian Court, she has averaged 13.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg.
 
THE MARCH TO 500
With a win over Georgian Court on December 29, the Knights need only one more victory (499) to reach the 500th in program history. The team has played in a total of 1,174 games since beginning the program in 1977. Over the previous 499 victories, the Knights have won 214 NEC games and 121 games in Peter Cinella's tenure as head coach.
 
POSSESSION IS KEY
The Knights are one of the best teams in both the NEC and NCAA in limiting turnovers, ranking first in the league in turnover margin (+2.9) while also ranking in the top 50 in Division I in fewest turnovers and turnover margin. Consequently, the Knights are also good at forcing turnovers, tied for the league lead with Robert Morris in steals per game with 10.1 pilfers. Senior Natalie Zamora leads the conference with 2.3 steals per game, and senior Peniel M'Bikata ranks fourth in steals per game (1.8) after recording five vs. Georgian Court.
 
BLOCK PARTY
The Knights are also the premier shot-blocking team in the NEC, leading the league with 4.2 rejections per game. Stanley is sixth in the league with 1.1 blocks per game (13 total), while freshman Lindsey Mack is tied for the most blocks among NEC freshmen with nine this season. Junior Lauren Francillon (9, 0.8 per game) also ranks in the top 15 in the league in blocks.
 
SERIES SCORE
Robert Morris leads the all-time series with FDU, 41-24, in a rivalry that started back in 1985. The Colonials have won each of the previous six matchups, including both games last season, most recently defeating the Knights by a score of 62-49 in Moon Township. The Knights last defeated Robert Morris on February 13, 2016 (60-52) in the Rothman Center, and the Knights' last win in Moon Township was January 16, 2016 (83-68). The Knights are 5-18 against the Colonials in Cinella's tenure as head coach.
 
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
The Colonials (4-8, 1-0 NEC) won their first NEC game of the season Saturday, 70-58, over Mount St. Mary's at home. Robert Morris held the Mountaineers to just 31.4 percent shooting and had two players score in double figures, led by Ire Ozzy-Momodu with 17 points. Senior Nneka Ezeigbo leads the team with 9.3 ppg this season, while Ozzy Momodu averages 7.0 rpg and Isabella Posset, who had 13 points and seven assists vs. Mount, leads the Colonials with 2.7 apg. Robert Morris was picked as the NEC preseason favorite at the start of the season and has won or shared the NEC regular-season title in each of the past two seasons.
 
AROUND THE NEC
Robert Morris and Saint Francis U joined St. Francis Brooklyn, Sacred Heart and Bryant as winners in their first conference games of the season, while FDU and Mount St. Mary's along with Central Connecticut State, LIU Brooklyn and Wagner all lost their league openers. All five teams that won were the home teams. All league teams play again Monday, with the other four matchups of the day including LIU Brooklyn at Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary's at Saint Francis U, St. Francis Brooklyn at Bryant and Wagner at Central Connecticut State.