HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team begins the second half of the Northeast Conference schedule with a road trip to St. Francis Brooklyn for a 1 p.m., contest on Saturday.
 
The game will be streamed live for free on NEC Front Row, and live stats will be provided at www.sfcathletics.com.
 
ENTERING THE KNIGHT
Against Robert Morris last Saturday, the Knights (6-14, 3-6 NEC) fell behind early to start, and despite improving on the defensive end, they could not overcome their early deficit in a 63-43 home loss. FDU was only outscored by six points in the final three quarters of play, but the Colonials opened the game with a 23-9 lead after the first period to help them maintain a steady advantage. Senior Madelynn Comly led the Knights with 11 points and five rebounds, going 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Sophomore Madison Stanley finished with seven points and three rebounds, while junior Jenna Clark and freshman Lindsey Mack each added five points.
 
CONFERENCE LAUREN
Junior Lauren Francillon has stepped up her play since the beginning of NEC play, averaging 13.1 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game in nine NEC contests. Francillon is also shooting .489 from the floor, .500 from beyond the three-point line and .857 at the free throw line in conference games to go with 15 blocks. The junior has recorded three double-doubles in NEC games, including in two of her last four games. Currently, Francillon ranks fifth in the NEC in free throw percentage (.813) and blocks per game (1.3), ninth in rebounding (6.5) and 16th in scoring (10.5). The junior is also close to reaching two career milestones, needing 16 rebounds to reach 500 for her career, and three blocks to become the seventh Knight ever with 100 career blocks.
 
DEFENSIVE MINDSET
The Knights through 20 games have proven to be one of the better defensive teams in the NEC, ranking second in the league in three-point field goal defense (.294), steals per game (9.4) and blocks per game (4.1) while placing third in turnover margin (+1.0) and points allowed (64.5). Last time the two teams met, FDU held St. Francis Brooklyn to just 3-of-17 from three-point range (.176), well below their season average of .409 beyond the arc. Senior Natalie Zamora leads the league in steals per game (2.4), and senior Peniel M'Bikata is fifth in the NEC with 1.9 steals per game. Sophomore Madison Stanley also ranks in the top-10 in the league in blocks per game (1.1 – eighth).
 
LAST TIME VS. ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN
The Terriers played the Knights in the Rothman Center just two weeks prior, defeating the Knights by a score of 64-53. The Knights held the Terriers to a 3-of-17 night from three-point range but could not overcome their own cold-shooting second quarter, allowing the Terriers to gain a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. Francillon led the Knights in that game with 16 points and 10 rebounds while blocking four shots.
 
SERIES SCORE
FDU leads the all-time series with St. Francis Brooklyn, 48-23. The 48 wins are the most for the Knights against any school in program history. The Knights are 22-11 against the Terriers when playing on the road, and the Knights have won three of the last four meetings in Brooklyn Heights. The Terriers, however, have won two of the last three overall matchups between the two NEC rivals.
 
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN
The Terriers (12-9, 6-3 NEC) enter Saturday's game in a tie for second place in the NEC after winning in overtime at Sacred Heart, 56-53, last Saturday. Senior Amy O'Neill registered a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in the win over the Pioneers, helping her earn NEC Co-Player of the Week honors. Senior Jade Johnson leads the Terriers with an average of 18.8 points per game, and O'Neill is the team's top rebounder (6.7) along with the NEC's assists leader with 7.8 per game. The Terriers were picked to finish fifth in the NEC Preseason Poll.
 
AROUND THE NEC
First-place Robert Morris enters the second half of the NEC calendar with a 9-0 record, with St. Francis Brooklyn, Sacred Heart and Saint Francis U all tied for second place at 6-3. Just ahead of FDU in the standings are three teams tied for fifth place in Bryant, Wagner and Mount St. Mary's. RMU looks to keep its perfect NEC record in its game against Bryant on Saturday, while Mount travels to FDU's next opponent, Sacred Heart, for a Saturday matchup as well. Other games on the schedule include Wagner at LIU Brooklyn and Central Connecticut State at Saint Francis U.