HACKENSACK, N.J. – A stretch of two games in three days for FDU (6-12, 2-1) starts in Hackensack tomorrow. First, on January 18, the Knights will take on Central Connecticut (11-6, 2-2) at 4 p.m. inside the Bogota Savings Bank Center. The game will air live on the YES Network and Gotham Sports App. Following this contest, FDU heads to Chicago State (1-17, 1-2) on Monday, January 20, for an MLK Day game that begins at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on NEC Front Row.

The Knights are coming off a 75-71 defeat at the hands of Saint Francis U last Sunday. Jo'el Emanuel scored a season-high 24 points and pulled in ten rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Poor shooting marked this effort for FDU. The NEC leaders in points per game were held to 21-65 from the field and 6-30 from deep. Dylan Jones, the league leader in three-point field goals, knocked down three triples. FDU led 27-26 at halftime and the lead grew to five early in the second half. However, an immediate 7-0 Saint Francis U run put the Red Flash in the driver's seat. After falling behind by as many as 11, the Knights made things interesting with a 7-0 spurt of their own in the game's waning moments but were not able to complete the comeback.

Despite the recent loss, FDU still leads the league in scoring. The Knights are averaging 78.1 points per game and have reached the 70-point mark in 16 of their 18 games. They will need their offense to show up against Central Connecticut, who is also averaging over 70 points per contest.

The Blue Devils boast the best overall record in the NEC at 11-6. Their non-conference campaign featured impressive wins over Saint Joseph's, UMass Lowell, Holy Cross, Fairfield and Quinnipiac. After capturing victories in their first two NEC games, they have dropped their last two conference bouts at home to Wagner and LIU. They are, however, 6-3 on the road this season.

Central Connecticut possesses multiple players that can score the basketball. They are led by Devin Haid and Jordan Jones, both of which average over 12 points per game. In conference play, Jones has raised his scoring average to 14 points per night. Haid is also the team's leading rebounder. He already has totaled two double-doubles this season.

The Knights are 30-26 all-time against the Blue Devils. CCSU swept FDU last season and have won three-straight games in this series. The last FDU win came on 1/14/23 at CCSU. The Blue Devils have also won their last three games in Hackensack dating back to 2022. Last season, they earned a convincing 76-60 victory in FDU's home building.

Monday marks FDU's first ever trip to Chicago State. The Cougars are in their first season as NEC members. However, the teams did meet in Hackensack last season and Chicago State scratched out a thrilling 75-74 victory. Monday will be their second matchup overall and their first as conference foes.

The Cougars did not win a non-conference game this season. However, they did go on the road and beat Wagner in their NEC debut. After taking down the defending conference champions, they dropped meetings with LIU and Stonehill by an average margin of 15 points. They did not eclipse 60 points in either of these games.

Chicago State is last in the NEC in both scoring and defense. They struggle to shoot it from deep, boasting a three-point percentage of 28.4%. Senior Noble Crawford is the Cougars' leading scorer. The forward averages just shy of ten points per game. In conference play, he is averaging over 12 points per game.

The Knights get some much needed time off after squaring off with Chicago State. They are not back in action until Sunday, January 26, when they travel to Stonehill. Coverage is available on NEC Front Row beginning at 2 p.m.