HACKENSACK, N.J. - After playing the first eight contests of their 2021-22 season on the road, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team (0-9, 0-0 NEC) finally hit the court at Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center as the Knights played host to the Fairfield Stags (8-3, 2-0 MAAC). Holding the lead for the entirety of the 40-minute bout, Fairfield would take the non-conference game 72-54.

How it Happened 

• Sophomore Pier-Olivier Racine led the scoring for the Burgundy and Blue, dropping 12 points and four rebounds. The Gatineau, Quebec, Canada native also added a block, one of a pair of FDU players to log one, the other being John Square Jr.
• Freshman Antoine Jacks earned his second career start Wednesday and recorded a season-high nine points and one assist on six field goal attempts, also a season-high for the Spring Valley, N.Y. product.
• Junior Brandon Rush finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. Rush is the Knights' leading scorer on the season with 110 points, averaging 13.8 points per game.

Inside the Box Score 

• 32 of FDU's 54 points came in the paint.
• 28 of the Knights' points came from those off the bench.
• The Burgundy and Blue shot .667 from the free throw stripe, going 10-for-15 from the line.

Coach Herenda's Thoughts

"Our growing pains were put on full display tonight. We just came out and could not do anything offensively but give Fairfield a ton of credit, they are very well coached experience team. Believe it or not I am even more excited about our team now than ever. I can see this team being very good sooner than you think but it still is going to take a great deal of work. Now we hit the road again and travel to play Virginia on Saturday and that is just an incredible opportunity to play against a great basketball team within an incredible academic institution. I know our guys will bounce back tomorrow at practice and get ready to go play another very, very good team in an incredible setting."

What's Next

FDU hits the road for the final time in non-conference action when the Burgundy and Blue head to Virginia for a battle with the Viriginia Cavaliers live on ACC Network at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 18, before returning home to face Saint Peter's on Wednesday, December 22, at 3 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Knights' women's basketball side. Tickets for the game on 12/22 are on-sale now at FDUKnights.com/Tickets.

The 2021-22 men's basketball season is presented by Bogota Savings Bank.