HACKENSACK, N.J. – With just two regular season games remaining and postseason seeding up for grabs, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team hosts Bryant on Thursday night inside the Rothman Center
Prior to tip-off, the Knights will honor senior forward
Kaleb Bishop with the annual senior night ceremony. In addition, the 2019-20 NEC Champion FDU women's indoor track and field team will be honored, as well as, the 2019 FDU men's soccer team, who will receive their NEC Championship rings.
The Knights currently sit as the fifth seed in the NEC Tournament but are able to climb into the fourth spot and earn a postseason home game. The 2020 NEC Tournament is set to begin next Wednesday, March 4.
More information
FDU Knights (9-18, 7-9 NEC) vs. Bryant Bulldogs (14-15, 6-10 NEC)
Thursday, Feb. 27 – 7:05 PM
Stratis Arena – Hackensack, N.J.
Watch: NEC Front Row
Talent: Sitesh Shah & Tom Green
Notes: KNIGHTS |
Bryant
Links: Live Stats |
Twitter
News: NEC Weekly Report |
NEC on the Run
All-Time Series
FDU leads 12-8
in Hackensack..5-4
Last Five..5-0
Streak...W5
First Meeting..Bryant 56, FDU 43 (1/17/09 at BRY)
Last Meeting..FDU 77, Bryant 73 (1/4/20 at BRY)
Kaleb Bishop poured in a career-high 25 points to go along with 15 rebounds in the contest. The senior also drained all six of his free throws including a pair with 30 seconds to go, which helped seal the win. In addition to Bishop's effort,
Brandon Powell finished with 13 points, five rebounds and three steals, while logging a career-best 39 minutes. Powell knocked down three of the Knights' seven 3-pointers in the win.
Elyjah Williams joined the duo in double figures with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and added seven rebounds and four assists to his ledger. Bishop's work on the glass aided the Knights in a 46-37 rebounding advantage. As a team, the Burgundy and Blue shot 46.8 percent overall and knocked down 12-of-16 at the charity stripe. Bryant senior guard Adam Grant led all scorers with 28 points and knocked down seven of his team's 14 3-pointers in the loss. The Bulldogs shot 36 percent overall and took 45 3-pointers.
FDU Last Time Out
A second-half offensive surge was the difference as the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team topped Robert Morris 75-70 on Sunday afternoon inside the Rothman Center and completed the season sweep. After scoring just 24 points in the opening stanza, the Knights scored 51 second-half points to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit and knock off the Colonials (16-14, 12-5 NEC) for the second time this season.
With the win, the Knights officially punched their ticket to the Northeast Conference Tournament. The Burgundy and Blue currently hold the sixth spot in the NEC standings by way of a tiebreaker with Mount St. Mary's, who is also 7-9. With Merrimack ineligible for postseason play, the sixth spot equates to the No. 5 seed in this season's NEC Tournament.
Jahlil Jenkins scored 17 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, while adding five assists, three rebounds and two steals to his ledger in the victory. Junior forward
Elyjah Williams contributed 17 points with seven boards, while sophomore
Brandon Powell and redshirt junior
Xzavier Malone-Key finished with 15 and 12 points, respectively and each hit 6-of-9 from the field. Powell drained 3-of-4 from three-point range and grabbed six rebounds in the contest.
The Burgundy and Blue hit 56 percent overall and 9-of-20 from behind the arc in the win, including 7-of-13 second-half three-pointers.
Coach Herenda's Thoughts
"That game was all about team and character and playing without our senior captain Kaleb Bishop, everyone stepped up today," remarked Greg Herenda after his team's win. "We just had two very difficult losses but today we responded in a big way and beat a very good Robert Morris club again."
"I just have to say that Elyjah Williams took that game into his own hands early and led our team with Jahlil and Brandon by his side," Herenda concluded. "Our guys rose to the occasion today in front of a great crowd in a big spot. That was fun."
Next Up
The Knights close out the 2019-20 regular season on the road at Mount St. Mary's (11-18, 7-9 NEC) this Saturday, Feburary 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Emmitsburg, Md.
