HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team begins a two-game road trip at Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m. in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
 
The game will be streamed live for free on NEC Front Row, and live stats will be available at www.mountathletics.com.
 
ENTERING THE KNIGHT
The Knights (6-20, 3-12 NEC) shot 46 percent from the field and scored 40 second-half points but could not overcome a big shooting night from Sacred Heart on Monday in a 82-63 home loss. The Knights got off to a slow start and also battled against a Pioneer team that shot 61 percent from the field and made 56 percent of their three-point field goals in the game. Senior Madelynn Comly scored a season-high 22 points and made 9-of-11 field goals, a career-high in makes for her, and she scored 18 of her points in the second half. Senior Natalie Zamora netted 11 points, and sophomore Madison Stanley added 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
 
PLAYOFF PUSH
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Knights are currently in a three-way tie for the eighth and final Northeast Conference Tournament spot with Central Connecticut State and LIU Brooklyn. Each team is 3-12 in league play entering Saturday, and CCSU faces LIU Brooklyn on Saturday, meaning the winner will be tied with FDU if the Knights defeat Mount or be one game ahead if FDU falls to Mount. The Knights play CCSU and LIU in their last two games of the regular season. If the Knights win all three remaining games, they clinch the playoff spot regardless of how CCSU or LIU finish out due to tiebreaker advantages (FDU already defeated CCSU and LIU earlier in the season). FDU can also clinch with wins in their next two games, wins over CCSU and LIU, or a win over Mount and a win over LIU (if LIU beats CCSU) AND having CCSU and LIU only win one more game the rest of the season.
 
CHASING 1,000
Senior Madelynn Comly is only nine points away from becoming the 18th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points after tallying a season-high 22 points on Monday against Sacred Heart. The senior has been team's leading scorer in NEC games this season, averaging 11.9 ppg and shooting 51.8 percent from the floor, 46.2 percent from three and 95 percent at the free-throw line in conference play. Comly has scored in double figures in each of the past seven games.
 
FEBRUARY WAS FOR STANLEY
Sophomore Madison Stanley has been on a tear since the beginning of February, averaging 11.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 1.6 bpg while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor over the seven games during the month. She recorded both of her double-doubles this season in February and also matched her career-high with 16 points against Saint Francis U on Feb. 16, and has scored in double figures in each of her last six games. The sophomore leads the team this season with a 45.7 percent shooting clip and 31 blocks (1.2 bpg), which is tied for fourth-best in the NEC.
 
BLOCKS AND STEALS
The Knights rank second in the NEC in both blocks per game (3.9) and steals per game (8.7) this season. Senior Natalie Zamora is tied for the best steals per game average (2.3) in the NEC and is one total steal behind the NEC leader with 60. Senior Peniel M'Bikata is sixth in the league with 1.9 steals per game. Along with Stanley ranking fourth in blocks per game, junior Lauren Francillon is a top-10 shot blocker in the NEC (1.1 per game, seventh). Statistically, the Knights are also second in the NEC in free throw percentage (72.7) and third in scoring defense (66.0), three-point field goal defense (31.7) and turnover margin (+0.3).
 
SERIES SCORE
Mount St. Mary's leads the all-time series with FDU, 33-24, and has won each of the last six meetings between the two teams. The Mountaineers won the previous matchup this season with the Knights in Hackensack, 63-47, despite the Knights battling back to within six points in the fourth quarter. Francillon led the Knights in that game with 11 points and 11 rebounds, her second double-double of the season, and both M'Bikata and Stanley finished with 10 points as well. The Knights are 9-20 against Mount in Emmitsburg, with their last win at Mount dating back to February 21, 2015 (54-52).
 
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S
The Mountaineers (13-13, 7-8 NEC) are tied for the sixth seed in the NEC Tournament with Bryant entering Saturday and have won three of their last four games (the one loss was at Bryant, giving the Bulldogs the tiebreaker). In their last game, the Mountaineers defeated CCSU 61-44 on the road, with Michaela Harrison leading the team with 15 points and Jatarrikah Settle finishing with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Juliette Lawless leads the team with an average of 16.7 ppg, 3.1 apg and 1.7 spg while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor. Forward Rebecca Lee is the team's leading rebounder (7.6 rpg) and shot blocker (1.1 bpg). Mount has been a stronger team at home this season, with a 8-3 mark in Knott Arena but a 5-10 road record.
 
AROUND THE NEC
Robert Morris (14-1) has a chance to lock up the top seed in the NEC Tournament when it faces Wagner (8-7, fifth place) on Saturday, while second-place Sacred Heart (11-4) needs to win out and hope Robert Morris loses out to have a chance at the top seed. The Pioneers host third-place Saint Francis U (10-5) on Saturday, and fourth-place St. Francis Brooklyn (9-6) can clinch a home playoff game with a win over Bryant (7-8) and a Wagner loss. As mentioned, CCSU and LIU, the two teams battling FDU for the eighth seed, face each other on Saturday.