HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team goes for a second straight win Monday night when it hosts Merrimack for the first time in program history at 7 p.m., in the Rothman Center.

FDU (8-13, 5-5 NEC) vs. Merrimack (14-8, 7-4 NEC)
Monday, Feb. 10 | 7 PM | Rothman Center - Hackensack, N.J.
Watch: NEC Front Row
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All-Time Series
Merrimack 1, FDU 0
at Rothman Center: First-ever meeting
Last Time: Merrimack 62, FDU 51 (1/27/20)

Last Time Out
Sophomore Rachael Niles sank a game-winning basket with 11 seconds left as the Knights knocked off Wagner 62-61 on the road last Monday.
 
Trailing by one with 15 seconds left to play, Niles collected an inbounds pass at the top of the key and drove left before floating the ball up and through the hoop with 11 ticks left on the scoreboard. The Knights (8-13, 5-5 NEC) then buckled down on defense and denied the Seahawks (7-13, 3-6 NEC) in the closing seconds, with freshman Maria Roters pulling down the final defensive rebound to secure the victory.
 
FDU had maintained a lead through the majority of the game after going on a 9-0 run to close out the first half up 35-30. Wagner's only lead of the second half came on a basket by Alex Cowan with 29 seconds left, setting up Niles' winning shot on FDU's next possession.

Freshman Aniya Bell, who earned NEC Co-Rookie of the Week honors on Wednesday, for the second straight game led the Knights with 14 points, going 5-of-6 from the field and making 4-of-5 free throws to go with five rebounds. Bell has now made 12 of her last 17 field goals, matching her season-high point total in back-to-back games.
 
Freshman Maria Roters also only missed one shot, finishing 6-of-7 from the field, and recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds to go with three assists. The freshman made each of her first six shots she attempted and grabbed a team-best five offensive rebounds.

Senior Lauren Francillon also filled the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. Niles finished with eight points and five rebounds, making two three-pointers to go along with her game-winning bucket.
 
Coach Szumilo's Thoughts
"I think this is a huge confidence boost for us," head coach Angelika Szumilo said after the game. "We're playing with a lot of underclassmen, so for them to come out with a win, it's huge for their confidence and for the future."

"Maria when she does all the little things, I really do believe she can average a double-double," Szumilo said. "I thought she did a great job today of being active, got her hands on a lot of the misses and a lot of offensive rebounds. She was in the right spots a lot, and I think that resulted in a double-double."

"We're going to get our rest and certainly focus on ourselves and the things we need to get better at," Szumilo said. "Taking care of the ball, making good decisions, and we'll get ready for Merrimack."

What's Next
FDU goes on the road for an extended trip next weekend, playing at Robert Morris on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 4 p.m., before then going to Central Connecticut for a 7 p.m., matchup with the Blue Devils.

Marriott Saddle Brook is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-20 women's basketball season.  

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