It will be a rare midweek matinee college basketball game for NJIT as the Highlanders close the 2009 calendar year with a Wednesday afternoon visit from Polytechnic Institute of NYU in a 2 pm game in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
NJIT, which has had back-to-back wins just once in its Division I era that began in 2006-07, will take on Poly on the heels of a 65-56 win at Wagner Monday night. … The win over Wagner—NJIT's second against the Seahawks this season—included numerous individual star efforts, with career highs for points (25) and rebounds (6) from Chris Flores, who also made 4 steals; 19 points, 6 rebounds and a career high-tying 5 assists for Isaiah Wilkerson; and, career high-tying rebound (10) and assists (7) marks for Jheryl Wilson. … As a team, the Highlanders outrebounded Wagner, 45-35, and held the Seahawks to 34 percent shooting from the field, including 4-for-24 on three-point tries.
This game is the only home contest for the Highlanders between December 5 and January 23. They have played the last four games away and will follow the NYU-Poly home game with five straight away games in January, beginning with a Saturday visit to Lehigh.
NJIT and NYU-Poly (formerly known as Polytechnic University) last played on February 5, 1997, but they were regular opponents when NJIT (nee NCE) was in NCAA Division III and before that in NAIA. Indeed, the series with the Fighting Blue Jays is third on the listed of most frequently contested in NCE/NJIT annals with 57 meeting (NJIT leads, 48-9). The only opponents to face the Highlanders more are Stevens (65 games) and Drew (64 games). … The Brooklyn, NY-based school competes in the Skyline Conference, a league that had NJIT as one of its founding members in 1989-90. The Highlanders stayed in the Skyline until 1997-98, when NJIT reclassified to NCAA Division II. … NYU-Poly, coached by former Poly player Joshua Washington, has won two of its first five games under the first-year head coach.
Fans unable to make the game can follow all the action live on www.njithighlanders.com, which will carry a webcast play-by-play and commentary by Matt Provence, as well as an in-game real-time stat feed.
