Guard Dion Brown will try to help Boston College get back on track at home Saturday when the Eagles welcome Fairleigh Dickinson to Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Brown scored a season-high 20 points last Saturday but the Eagles (7-5) still ended up on the wrong end of a 103-77 blowout against SMU. It marked Boston College’s third loss in its past four home games.

Even though his team is in a rut, Brown is optimistic heading into the meeting with the Knights (4-10).

“My mental (approach) going into each and every game is the same no matter how I play,” Brown said following the loss to the Mustangs. “So, hopefully, next game, if God wills it, I can come out and do the same thing next time.”

Brown has good reason to feel confident against FDU. The Knights have yet to win on the road, going 0-9 outside of Hackensack, N.J. Last Saturday they were in Minneapolis, where Minnesota beat them 74-60.

Ahmed Barba-Bey finished with 15 points in the setback, while Jo’el Emanuel recorded a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds).

While it hasn’t been the start to the season that Knights coach Jack Castleberry would have liked, he is hoping that the gauntlet of a nonconference schedule that includes Miami, then-No. 15 Creighton, Nebraska, Villanova and Minnesota in addition to Boston College will have his team has had to well-prepared for Northeast Conference action.

The Knights open conference play on Jan. 5.

“Our nonconference schedule is pretty ridiculous this year, and I think that’s all preparation for when we’re playing teams in our league,” Castleberry said after an 86-72 loss to Villanova on Dec. 11. “We go to La Salle … and then we come back and play Minnesota and Boston College and start conference play, and that’s after playing Creighton and Nebraska.

“So, I think we’re prepared to see the highest level of competition.”

Terrence Brown has been leading the way for Fairleigh Dickinson, posting 21.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Donald Hand Jr. averages a team-high 14.2 points for the Eagles.

–Field Level Media