HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team seeks its seventh win in 10 games and a 4-2 start in the Northeast Conference when it takes on Central Connecticut State Monday at 1 p.m., as part of a Martin Luther King, Jr., basketball doubleheader in the Rothman Center.
FDU (6-10, 3-2 NEC) vs. Central Connecticut State (1-16, 0-6 NEC)
Monday, Jan. 20 | 1 PM | Rothman Center - Hackensack, N.J.
Watch: NEC Front Row
Links: Live Stats | Twitter | Instagram
All-Time Series
CCSU 25, FDU 18
at Rothman Center: FDU leads, 12-8
Last Season: FDU 74, CCSU 67 (1/12/2019); FDU 66, CCSU 63 (3/4/19)
Last Time Out
Strong shooting in the second half and stout defense powered the Knights to their sixth win in nine games, prevailing 65-60 over Sacred Heart in the Rothman Center last Monday night.
FDU overcame a slow start offensively by making 66.7 percent of its shot attempts (14-of-21) in the second half, including 5-of-8 three-point tries. FDU took control of the game in the second period, outscoring the Pioneers 18-11 in the quarter to go up 30-22 at halftime, later extending the lead to as many as 17 in the third period. The Knights finished the night shooting 48.1 percent from the floor, their best in a game this season since shooting 50 percent against NJIT for the first win of the year.
FDU held Sacred Heart to just 34 percent shooting and 5-of-17 from three (29.4 percent), with the Pioneers missing 11 of their final 12 tries from deep. The Knights also dished out a season-high 20 assists in the game and won the advantage on the boards, 36-27.
Five different players totaled at least eight points for the Knights, with sophomore Rachael Niles leading with 11 points and freshman Maria Roters also reaching double figures with 10 points, all in the first half, to go with three assists. Senior Courtney Blankenship poured in a season-high nine points and matched her season-high totals of seven rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Celia Carbonell also equaled her season-high with nine points and three three-pointers, and junior Madison Stanley dished out a team-high six assists. Senior Lauren Francillon also recorded her 800th career point in her 100th game with the Knights.
Coach Szumilo's Thoughts
"We talked about in order to beat this team, we had to get it done on the defensive end, and we told them our goal was to hold them to 60 or less and we'll win the game," head coach Angelika Szumilo said. "I'm extremely proud of them. Five games in 11 days is a lot of minutes in a condensed period of time. We're 3-2 and it's exciting. There are things we still need to get better at, and we will, but now we need to get proper rest before our next challenge against Central Connecticut."
"I think we're just a very unselfish team, and I don't think there's one person that really cares if they score a lot," Szumilo said. "They're always trying to make the right pass and that's hard to guard."
What's Next
The Knights hit the road for their next two NEC contests, going to Connecticut to play at Sacred Heart on Saturday, January 25, at 1 p.m., followed by the program's first-ever meeting with Merrimack on Monday, January 27, at 7 p.m., in Massachusetts.
Marriott Saddle Brook is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-20 women's basketball season.
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