GAME 9 – Sunday, December 20, 2015
Monmouth Hawks (2-6, 1-1 MAAC) at Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (2-7, 0-0 NEC)
Location: Hackensack, NJ – Stratis Arena
Tip: 7:00 p.m.
Live Video – NEC Front Row
Live Stats – www.FDUKnights.com
Live Audio – 89.9 FM WMCX; www.WMCX.com
Twitter – www.Twitter.com/MUHawksWBB

Monmouth returns to non-conference action Sunday, when it travels to longtime former conference foe Fairleigh Dickinson. The Hawks last played Dec. 10 against Eastern Michigan, falling 78-68 after storming back to take a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 18 points in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Knights fell to UMass Lowell, 78-67, Friday night in Hackensack.

SCOUTING THE FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON KNIGHTS
Fairleigh Dickinson is led by four players in their fourth year or more in college. Senior Kelsey Cruz leads the way at 17.8 points per game, while redshirt senior Erika Livermore is close behind with 14.7 points per game to go along with a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game. Redshirt junior Brianna Thomas has chipped in with 7.7 points per game, while fellow redshirt junior, Temple transfer Jackie Jackson has averaged 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest. Kiana Brown and Madelynn Comly have shared duties distributing the ball, averaging 3.4 and 2.1 assists per game, respectively.   

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
The Hawks have played the Knights more often than any other team in program Division I history, with Monmouth taking a 45-21 lead in the all-time series. The two teams had played at least twice every year since MU moved to Division I in 1982-83, prior to a break in the series in the 2013-14 season. The series resumed last season in West Long Branch, with the Hawks taking a 71-66 victory on Nov. 25.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Monmouth erased an 18-point third-quarter deficit to take a seven-point fourth-quarter lead, but fell to Eastern Michigan, 78-68, at the MAC on Dec. 10. Sarah Olson led MU with 18 points on six three-point field goals, while Christina Mitchell added her third double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Tyese Purvis also scored in double figures for the sixth time this season with 11 points. Jamiyah Bethune filled the stat sheet with eight points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while McKinzee Barker also contributed eight points, nine rebounds and four assists.