HACKENSACK, N.J. - Coming off a stellar performance in an 88-82 overtime loss Monday at Loyola Chicago, the FDU men's basketball team (0-1, 0-0 NEC) returns to the banks of the Hackensack Wednesday evening in the first home game for the Burgundy and Blue since the opening round of last year's Northeast Conference Championship opening round on February 28, 254 days ago. FDU will take on Division II side Mercy (N.Y.), the Mavericks a member of the East Coast Conference, the same league Tobin Anderson coached in for the past nine seasons. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. from the hardwood at Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center live on NEC Front Row. The Knights' performance in the Windy City was led by graduate guard Demetre Roberts' 22 points and the first double-double of the campaign coming from senior Heru Bligen who posted 21 points and 11 boards in 30 minutes off the bench.

Facing Mercy twice last year at STAC, Roberts and fellow fifth-year Grant Singleton posted 10 points each, while junior Sean Moore contributed five points of his own in the final meeting of last season. In all, Singleton had 18 points against Mercy while Moore was the only other Spartan now at FDU to play in both games with a series total of 10. Wednesday's game in Hackensack will be the fifth all-time meeting between the Knights and Mavericks. FDU holds a 4-0 series lead with the last meeting occurring in 2006, an 86-59 win for the Knights.

Down two at the half thanks to a perfectly-timed three-point shot by Roberts, FDU came back to stun the Ramblers at home in a packed Gentile Arena and held the lead for over 11 minutes. With 16 lead changes, 25 of FDU's 82 points came off the bench with FDU using four of their eight-man bench for the road trip. Roberts led all scorers in the bought with three FDU players scored in double figures with Sébastien Lamaute contributing 11 and Bligen logging 21.

Taking advantage of Loyola matching their speed, FDU stole nine balls while the Ramblers finished two short with seven. After the game Anderson reflected on his first Division I game as a head coach saying, "We played really well, we out-toughed them. Loyola is an unbelievably tough, hard-nose team and for us to be able to come into their house and actually compete at the same level, if not higher, is something to be proud of."

After the meeting with Mercy, the Knights are off until Sunday, November 13 when the Burgundy and Blue welcome Manhattan, looking to even the home and home series at 2 p.m. live on NEC Front Row from Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center. Tickets are on-sale now at FDUKnights.com/Tickets.

The 2022-23 men's basketball season is presented by Bogota Savings Bank.