Box score
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—Virginia held visiting NJIT to fewer than 20 points in each half and the Cavaliers prevailed, 68-37, Monday night in the Highlanders' first all-time men's basketball meeting with a team from the vaunted Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Highlanders, who were led by 11 points from junior Jheryl Wilson, were held to season-low totals in points and field goal percentage (27.1 percent on 13-for-48 shooting) against the tenacious Virginia defense.
Virginia did not shoot particularly well, either, making less than 40 percent of its own tries (38.7 percent on 24-for-62, to be exact). But the Cavaliers committed just seven turnovers and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds to keep numerous possessions alive.
Jeff Jones, who came off the bench, scored all 11 of his team-leading points for Virginia in the second half. Sophomore Sylven Landesberg, who came in averaging nearly 17 points per game for the Cavaliers, contributed 10 points against NJIT.
Seven-foot sophomore center Assane Sene pulled down 11 rebounds for Virginia, which had a decided 46-31 team rebounding lead over the much smaller Highlanders.
NJIT's rebounding leader was sophomore captain Isaiah Wilkerson, who collected six boards and added nine points.
The Highlanders, who were coming off a nine-point lost on Saturday against another major conference foe, Rutgers of the Big East, held their own for much of the first half against Virginia.
In fact, after UVA's Sammy Zeglinski opened the scoring with a jump shot, the Highlanders responded with a pair of three-point baskets for a 6-2 lead in the opening two minutes.
The teams continued to play on even terms and NJIT took what would be its final lead of the night, 15-14, when freshman Drejon Scott made a three-point basket with 8:16 left in the half.
Virginia's Will Sherrill made a three-pointer of his own to give the Cavaliers the lead for good, 17-15, with 6:59 remaining, but the game remained tight for several more minutes.
NJIT, which was unable to score inside, made just six field goals in the first half, but five of them were three-pointers and the fifth of the half, by Wilson, pulled NJIT to within five points of the lead, 24-19, at the 3:57 mark. But the Highlanders would not score again in the half and Virginia pulled out to a 32-19 lead at the break, paced by eight points for Landesberg.
NJIT made a brief charge to open the second half and pulled to within 10 points of the lead, 34-24, when Wilkerson made the team's only three-point basket of the second half with 14:48 remaining.
Virginia answered with a 10-1 spurt and was never challenged the rest of the way.
NJIT will have a one-week break, returning to action on Monday, December 28, at Wagner on Staten Island. It will be the second meeting this season between the schools, as the Highlanders upended the Seahawks, 56-51, on November 24 in Newark.
