HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team plays in the Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals Monday night, taking on top-seed Robert Morris at 7 p.m., in Moon Township, Pa.
 
The game will be streamed live for free on NEC Front Row, and live stats will be available at rmucolonials.com.
 
ENTERING THE KNIGHT
The Knights (8-21, 5-13 NEC) jumped out to a 17-6 after one quarter against LIU Brooklyn and led by as many as 30 points in earning a 68-49 victory on Senior Night to clinch the eighth and final NEC Tournament spot. Seniors Lucia Serrano-Ranz and Natalie Zamora each scored 12 points to lead the Knights, with Serrano-Ranz making 5-of-7 field goals and grabbing three rebounds in her career night. Sophomore Madison Stanley also scored in double figures with 10 points and led the Knights with six rebounds. Seniors Madelynn Comly (four points) and Peniel M'Bikata (six points) along with graduate senior Emmanuella Edoka (four points) all started in their final home games in the Rothman Center.
 
TOURNAMENT TIME
The Knights qualified for the NEC Tournament for the fifth straight year by defeating LIU Brooklyn at home on Thursday. Monday's matchup against Robert Morris will be the fourth time in five years the Knights have faced the Colonials in the quarterfinals (all on the road). The Knights are seeking their first win in the NEC Tournament since last capturing the conference title in 1992. Of the two times the Knights won their quarterfinal matchups, they went on to win the NEC title in both years (1990, 1992).
 
ON A TEAR
Senior Madelynn Comly has averaged 12.3 points per game and shot 52.8 percent from the floor since the start of NEC play in January. Along the way, she has scored in double figures in 12 of her last 18 games, including back-to-back 20 point games against Sacred Heart and Mount St. Mary's. Comly also reached the milestone of 1,000 career points when she buried a three-pointer in the third quarter against Mount. Comly has also shot 48.8 percent from three and 93.5 percent at the free throw line in 2019. She scored in double figures in both games against the Colonials (14 points on Jan. 7, 11 points on Feb. 2) this season.
 
STEALS AND BLOCKS
The Knights are second in the NEC in blocks per game this season (3.9) and third in steals per game (8.6) as well. FDU has tallied at least seven steals in 19 of 29 games this season and at least four blocks in 18 of 29 games. Zamora leads the league with 2.3 steals per game, and M'Bikata ranks sixth in the league with 1.8 swipes per game. Stanley is fifth in the NEC with 1.2 blocks per game, and junior Lauren Francillon is right behind her with 1.1 blocks per contest. The Knights also are second in the league in free throw percentage (73.9) and third in points allowed (65.6), three-point field goal defense (31.7) and turnover margin (+0.4).
 
SERIES SCORE
Robert Morris holds the all-time series lead with FDU, 43-24, and has won each of the last eight meetings. The two teams have met six times in the NEC Tournament, with Robert Morris winning each of the last four matchups and five of six overall. The Colonials won both games in the regular season, 71-49 in Moon Township and 63-43 in Hackensack. Francillon scored 20 points and made 4-of-5 three-pointers in the road loss. The Knights have a 10-25 all-time record when facing Robert Morris on the road. The Knights last defeated RMU on Feb. 13, 2016 (60-52).
 
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
The Colonials (19-10, 16-2 NEC) closed out the regular season with a 66-53 win over Saint Francis U at home and have won five of their last six games entering the NEC Tournament. The Colonials top the league in points allowed (55.1), scoring margin (+7.5), field goal percentage defense (.373), steals per game (10.3) and turnover margin (+4.3) in forming one of the better defenses in the NEC. Junior Nneka Ezeigbo leads the team with 12.2 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game, and freshman Isabella Posset leads the Colonials in assists per game (2.9) and steals per game (1.9). Robert Morris enters the NEC Tournament as the top seed and was picked as the preseason favorite heading into the 2018-19 season.
 
PARKING AND TICKET INFO
Tickets are required to enter the game at Robert Morris, and they are sold at $10 per person on a first come, first serve basis until they are sold out. Parking is limited next to the North Athletic Complex, so to alleviate the concern, there will be shuttles that run from different parking lots across campus starting at 5:45 p.m., and ending at 10 p.m., for fans to get to-and-from the arena. For more detailed information, click the link here.