LORETTO, Pa. - FDU men's basketball (7-11, 1-2 NEC), fresh off its first Northeast Conference win of the season, hits the road for the second time in league play Monday when the Knights face Saint Francis U (5-11, 0-2 NEC) at 7 p.m. ET on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run App as part of the NEC's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day showcase.

Both teams will wear shooting shirts in celebration of Dr. King's legacy and in support of the NEC Speaks Up and Champions for Changes initiatives, the league's platforms for student-athletes, coaches and staff to share their experiences around social injustice and social change.

The trip to Loretto is FDU's first leg of a two-game road trip which concludes on Friday, Jan. 19 at Stonehill at 5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network from North Easton, Mass.
 

About FDU

FDU heads to DeGol Arena fresh off an 81-74 victory over Stonehill at home on Jan. 13 to snap a six-game skid. The Knights' defense came together to fend off a ferocious comeback effort as the FDU halftime lead of 17 points slipped away. Sophomore forward Jo'el Emanuel (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) led all scorers with a career-high 29 points, the most by a Knights forward in a January game. Emanuel and newcomer forward Terrence Brown (Minneapolis, Minn./Columbia Heights) combined for a barrage of highlight reel plays, including a pair of alley-oops to bolster FDU's offense.

Defensively against the Skyhawks, FDU turned the visitors over 21 times resulting 27 points off turnovers. FDU's press created 17 points off the fast break in a game that featured five lead changes.

With the score tied at 64 at the end of regulation, FDU played an overtime game for the first time since Feb. 16, 2023 at Sacred Heart and the first time at home since an all-time thriller between FDU and Wagner which aired nationally on CBS Sports Network back on Feb. 24, 2022, an 88-86 FDU win.
 

About The Opponent

Led by the dean of NEC men's basketball head coaches in Rob Krimmel, Saint Francis U hosts the Knights in the middle game of three-consecutive on their home hardwood. The Red Flash fell in each of their first two NEC games of the season, heading to Wagner and hosting Central Connecticut.

In their most recent outing, SFU led the Blue Devils by four at the halftime but weren't able to hold on to their advantage coming out of the locker room as Central Connecticut out-scored the Red Flash 43-25 in the final 20 minutes. Cam Gregory paces the Red Flash offense as the only double-digit scorer for Saint Francis, averaging 12.8 points a game. Eli Wilborn is also a threat from the field as the freshman owns five double-doubles in 2023-24, the most in the Northeast Conference and 50th in Division I.

Saint Francis U averages 12.9 points a game off turnovers.
 

About the Series

FDU is 52-50 all-time against the Red Flash. The two charter members of the Northeast Conference first met on Jan. 12, 1955. The Knights and Saint Francis U split last season's regular-season series. FDU clinched the NEC automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship after besting SFU in the semifinal.
 

What a Win Would Mean

• First win at Saint Francis since Dec. 31, 2021 (70-62)
• Be the 996th in program history as the Knights close-in on No. 1,000
  • Would also be the 385th win against NEC members

 

What's Next

FDU heads to Stonehill on Jan. 19 at 5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network to close-out the season series with the Skyhawks. The Burgundy and Blue return home to Stratis Arena on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU against Central Connecticut.

Connect with FDU men's basketball on X and Instagram, @FDUKnightsMBB.

Bogota Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor for the 2023-24 FDU men's basketball season.