Dec. 13, 2007

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - NJIT stayed in serious contention until the final minutes, but visiting Rutgers prevailed in the end, 65-55, in men's basketball action Thursday night at the Prudential Center in downtown Newark.

The Highlanders got a game-high 21 points and NJIT-best 11 rebounds from their senior captain Kraig Peters to stay close in their second game all-time and first at home against a Big East Conference foe (lost at St. John's, 68-50, last December 21).

The 11 rebounds were the most of Peters' career, leading to his first career double-double. The 21 points were a personal Division I high for the senior, who had scored 20 last December 30 against James Madison. Peters also notched a team-leading three assists and a game-best four steals (matching his career high, done twice at the Division II level).

The only other double-figure scorer for the Highlanders was junior forward Nesho Milosevic, who finished with 12 points, along with seven rebounds. Sophomore center Dan Stonkus finished with a game-high four blocked shots with six points and six rebounds.

Rutgers (7-3) had three double-figure scorers, led by freshman guard Corey Chandler, a graduate of Newark's East Side High School, who scored 14 points, including 9-for-9 shooting from the foul line.

Chandler led the way as the Scarlet Knights who made 25 of 34 free throws and outscored NJIT from the foul line, 25-12.

Junior forward JR Inman had a double-double for Rutgers, finishing with 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Junior Anthony Farmer, Chandler's partner in the starting backcourt, added 10 points and three steals to the Rutgers cause.

NJIT had its best defensive game of the season in terms of shooting percentage, as Rutgers made just a third of its shots (18-54) from the field. For their own part, the Highlanders connected 37 percent of the time (20-54).

The Highlanders more than held their own in most of the "specialty" stats. Points in the paint favored the bigger Scarlet Knights, but only by the slim margin of 26-24. Points off turnovers, which have been a problem all year for NJIT, were also close Thursday night, with Rutgers enjoying a small 14-10 edge. Meanwhile, NJIT had slight advantages in second-chance points (12-10) and fast break points (4-2).

With Peters supplying 12 points and six rebounds in the first half, the Highlanders stayed close throughout the opening 20 minutes.

Slow starts have been troublesome for the Highlanders most of the season, but they grabbed a 7-2 lead against Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights scored first, but NJIT answered with a bucket by Milosevic, a fast-break layup by Jheryl Wilson and the first of two three-pointers on the night by Peters, making it 7-2 at the 15:22 mark.

Rutgers responded with six straight points, but the Highlanders answered right back with a layup by Milosevic and a jump shot by Peters, putting the score at 11-8 for the Highlanders with 10:57 left in the half.

Rutgers regained the lead, but could never pull away in the first half, finally pushing its lead to six points, 24-18, on Farmer's jump shot with 2:47 left.

The teams then traded scores and Rutgers held a 28-22 halftime lead, led by Chandler's seven points.

NJIT, which has also had difficulty starting several second halves, went toe-to-toe with Rutgers after the intermission on Thursday and the Highlanders eventually erased the six-point halftime deficit, pulling even at 36-36 on Peters' jumper with 13:34 left.

Rutgers took the lead for good on Hamady N'Diaye's jump shot with 12:22 remaining that sparked a 9-2 Rutgers run over the next 2:41, capped by Chandler's two free throws that gave his team a 45-38 lead at 9:41.

NJIT cut the deficit to four two more times, the latest at 47-43 on a foul line bank shot by Stonkus just as the shot clock ran out with 7:48 left. But Rutgers, making the most of its huge 34-21 advantage in free throw attempts, finally took a double-figure lead, 54-44, when Farmer hit two foul shots at 4:51.

The Highlanders who completed a grueling run of nine games in the last 20 days with the Rutgers game, will break for exams and then return after Christmas, resuming on December 30 at 7 pm against host Central Florida in the UCF Holiday Classic in Orlando.