Jan. 12, 2008

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Sophomore guard Niko Scott scored a team-high 15 points to lead visiting Columbia in its 64-52 men's basketball win over New Jersey Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

Scott, one of two double-figure scorers for Columbia, was supported by senior guard Mack Montgomery's 11 points, as the Lions won for the third time in their last four contests. Columbia's rebounding leader was senior John Baumann, with five.

NJIT got game-high totals of 15 points (shared), 7 rebounds (shared) and 4 steals from its senior captain, Kraig Peters. Nesho Milosevic added 10 points for the Highlanders and center Dan Stonkus grabbed seven rebounds to share game honors in that category with Peters.

Columbia, which never trailed, scored the first six points of the game and later pushed its advantage to 22-7 on Kashif Sweet's three-point play with 6:45 left in the first half. By the end of the half, Columbia led, 26-15.

Scott had seven points at the break to lead Columbia, which got five points off the bench from sophomore Kevin Bulger. NJIT's halftime scoring leaders were Peters (6 points, all at the foul line, where was 6-for-6) and Milosevic (5).

Peters hit a three-pointer to open the second half, making the score, 26-18, but Columbia never allowed its lead to get under eight.

The Lions pushed their advantage back to a high of 18 three times in the second half, the latest on a Scott three-pointer for a 46-28 lead with 9:11 remaining.

NJIT, which did not show consistent offensive fluidity until well into the second half, outscored the visitors the rest of the way, 24-18, but it was too late.

The Highlanders, who lost last Saturday at Penn, 79-68, before the latest 12-point loss to Columbia, will complete a run of three straight games against Ivy League foes when they host Cornell on Tuesday in the Prudential Center.

That game in the downtown Newark home of the National Hockey League New Jersey Devils is part of a men's/women's basketball doubleheader. The NJIT women, who return from a 2-0 road trip to Texas, will host the Cornell women in a 6 pm start and the men's game between the schools is scheduled for 8 pm.