CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Hitting the road for the final time in non-conference action, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team (0-9, 0-0 NEC) heads south to Charlottesville to take on Virginia (6-4, 1-0 ACC) on Saturday, December 18, at 2 p.m. live on ACC Network from John Paul Jones Arena.

Game Info 
FDU (0-9, 0-0 NEC) at Virginia (6-4, 1-0 ACC)
Saturday, December 18, at 2:01 p.m. -- John Paul Jones Arena (Charlottesville, Va.)
Coverage: ACC Network | Virginia Sports Radio Network | Live Stats
Tickets: Link
In-Game Updates: @FDUKnightsMBB

Media Game Notes
FDU | UVA

All-Time Series
Virginia leads 1-0
First Meeting..Virginia 88, FDU 61 (12/8/1988)
Last Meeting...Same
 
Scouting the Cavaliers
Not playing in 11 days, Virginia heads into Saturday's matchup against the Knights coming off the program's first-ever loss to James Madison (52-49). The Dukes held UVA to just 14 points in the first half – the lowest point total in any half by the Cavaliers under the Tony Bennett era. Jayden Gardner led the Virginia effort with a game-high 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and added a season-high 14 rebounds. Not a single JMU player scored in double figures, but eight different players registered points for the Dukes.

More on the Cavaliers
 
Scouting the Knights
Finally getting the chance to play on the hardwood at Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center after playing the first eight-straight games on the road, FDU faced Fairfield on December 15 on their home court. Despite an early 14-0 deficit, the Burgundy and Blue clawed back led by sophomore Pier-Olivier Racine's 12 points who made his presence known off the bench on the banks of the Hackensack. FDU started three freshmen in the contest. Falling to the Stags 72-54, sophomore John Square Jr. posted an even four rebounds on each side of the ball for a team-leading eight 'bounds on the evening. Melbourne, Australia native Oscar Berry earned his second start and posted nine points and one assist in 22 minutes of action. Following the game, head coach Greg Herenda remarked, "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."

Full Fairfield Recap

Coach Herenda's Thoughts
"It really is an honor and a privilege playing at such an elite academic and athletic institution. This will be the sixth time we will be playing against a national championship program since I've been here at Fairleigh Dickinson and I'd like to think that it shows that we are not afraid to compete against the nation's elite teams."

"Virginia is so well coached and have very unselfish players so we have a tall task today. Our team is so young but is improving on a daily basis even though our record does not reflect that improvement. We need to be very strong on both sides of the ball and compete from the tip to the buzzer. We are all extremely excited about this opportunity to say the least."

What's Next
Herenda's Knights close-out non-conference play on Wednesday, December 22, when the Burgundy and Blue welcome Saint Peter's to the Rothman for a doubleheader as the women hit the court at 12 p.m., followed by the men's matchup at 3 p.m. Both games will air live on NEC Front Row. Tickets for both games are on-sale now at FDUKnights.com/Tickets.

Fans can stay connected with FDU men's basketball on Instagram and Twitter, @FDUKnightsMBB.

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