HACKENSACK, N.J. - After two grueling games on the road, including an overtime thriller on Saturday, February 5, at Central Connecticut, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team (2-17, 3-9 NEC) is set to welcome Saint Francis U (Pa.) (7-16, 3-9 NEC) to Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center for a Thursday evening matchup on February 10 at 7 p.m. live on NEC Front Row.

FDU received a win in the conference standings following Mount St. Mary's COVID-19 related forfeit on December 29 giving the Knights a 1-0 start in NEC play. Following the cancellations against Merrimack (January 6) and Bryant (January 8), FDU was assigned a loss in the NEC standings for each contest. The forfeits do not impact the Knights' overall record.

Game Info 
FDU (2-17, 3-9 NEC) vs. Saint Francis U (Pa.) (7-16, 3-9 NEC)
Thursday, February 10, at 7:05 p.m. -- Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center (Hackensack, N.J.)
Coverage: NEC Front Row | Live Stats
Tickets
In-Game Updates: @FDUKnightsMBB

Media Game Notes
FDU | SFU | NEC Weekly Release

All-Time Series
FDU leads 50-48
First Meeting...Saint Francis U (Pa.) 75, FDU 62 (1/12/1955)
Last Meeting...FDU 70, Saint Francis U (Pa.) 62 (12/31/2021)
 
Scouting the Red Flash
Also coming off an overtime loss to close-out last week in NEC action, the Saint Francis U (Pa.) Red Flash come into Hackensack having dropped four-straight, including most recently a one-point loss at home against Merrimack that needed extra time (65-64, OT). Trailing 54-51 with 2:43 left, Maxwell Land missed a three-pointer to tie the game only to see Brad McCabe with a thunderous-crowd-erupting put-back dunk to cut the margin to one point. Cohen scored in the lane with 85 seconds on the clock and then Ramiir Dixon-Conover converted two free throws with 54 seconds left to give Saint Francis a 57-54 lead. Ten seconds later, Merrimack tied the game on a wide-open triple. A turnover by the Red Flash gave the Warriors a chance, but their shot did not fall to send the game to overtime. Merrimack had the first strike in overtime, but Cohen then hit consecutive baskets to give Saint Francis a 61-59 edge with 3:34 left in the extra session. Points were traded between the two teams with Land scoring off a Cohen assist for a 63-61 lead with 2:01 left.

More on the Red Flash

Scouting the Knights
FDU's 15-point lead wasn't enough to power the Burgundy and Blue through regulation as the side fell in an overtime thriller Saturday at Central Connecticut, 91-82. FDU raced out to a 9-5 lead early in the first quarter fueled by freshman Anquan Hill's seven points in the opening stretch and sophomore Joe Munden Jr.'s jumper at 19:01. Hill would go on to finish with a team-high 18 points (tied with junior Brandon Rush) in a Knights-leading 43 minutes of action in the beyond regulation contest. Rookie Ansley Almonor from nearby Spring Valley, N.Y. earned his first career start Saturday against the Blue Devils, contributing two points on perfect shooting from the free throw line (2-2) and a steal. The Saint Joseph Regional (Montvale) grad has appeared in 17 games. The Burgundy and Blue would hold the lead for 76.7 percent of the contest (34:30) with FDU's largest lead coming towards the tail end of the first half, 38- 23 (15 points) with just under two minutes to play. Greg Herenda's side finished the game shooting 45.8 percent from the field (27-59)

Full Central Connecticut Recap

What's Next
The homestand continues for Herenda and the Knights as the Burgundy and Blue are set to welcome in Sacred Heart for an NEC matchup on Saturday, February 12, as part of Hall of Fame Weekend. Prior to the game a ceremony will be held to dedicate the Knights' brand-new Michael and Denise Clarke Strength and Conditioning Center. At halftime, the 2022 FDU Knights Athletic Hall of Fame class will be recognized following their induction on Friday, February 11. Tickets for the matchup against the Pioneers 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.