NEWARK, NJ—Senior guard Maurice Joseph scored a game-high 19 points to lead four double-figure scorers for visiting Vermont, which blew open its game with NJIT by outscoring the Highlanders by 31 points in the second half en route to an 88-49 win men's basketball win Saturday afternoon in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

Joseph, who shot 4-for-5 on three-point attempts, led a balanced attack for 5-4 Vermont, which has won three in a row.

Freshman big man Ben Crenca collected 15 points--10 in a first half in which he paced Vermont to a 39-31 halftime lead.

Senior Marqus Blakely, Vermont's reigning America East Conference Player of the Year, finished with 13 points, six assists and a game-high 10 rebounds, as the Catamounts outrebounded the Highlanders, 38-24. And junior Evan Fjeld chipped in 11 points.

The top scorer for NJIT (3-5) was sophomore Isaiah Wilkerson, with 15 points. Freshman Drejon Scott, who played all 40 minutes at point guard and did not commit a turnover, added 11 points for the Highlanders.

Another freshman guard, PJ Miller, was the top rebounder for NJIT, with five, and he, too, played big minutes (34) without a turnover. Miller had three assists and a team-leading four steals.

Ahead by eight points at the half, Vermont began its second-half dominance immediately, outscoring the home team, 12-2, capped by a Joseph three-pointer 4:44 into the final period.

Later, leading by 15, the Catamounts exploded for 17 unanswered points in a span of 3:43, from 13:08 to 9:24. Included in the run, Garvey Young, who finished with a game-high five steals for the Catamounts, stole the ball and scored twice in eight seconds as NJIT was trying to get the ball inbounds after Vermont scores.

Vermont, which has earned its reputation as one of the top mid-major Division I programs in the East in recent years, came in as the favorite against NJIT and the Catamounts' prospects were no doubt enhanced by the fact that Jheryl Wilson was not in uniform for the Highlanders. Wilson was sidelined by a leg injury.

The veteran Vermont team started three seniors—Joseph, Blakely and point guard Nick Vier, plus Fjeld, a junior and the freshman Crenca.

NJIT, meanwhile, has two seniors, both of whom are out indefinitely and one junior, Wilson, who is the second-leading season scorer for the Highlanders at 12.4 ppg.

With Wilson out, all of the players available to coach Jim Engles were either sophomores or freshmen. As a result, two sophomores, Wilkerson and Ryan Regis, were joined in the starting lineup by the freshmen Scott, Miller and Chris Flores.

Despite the difference in experience and Vermont's proven talent, the first half was highly competitive. Although the Catamounts never trailed, there were two ties and their lead stood at four, 21-17, midway through the opening period.

With the NJIT defense focused on preventing an explosion by the explosive Blakely, the senior wisely trusted his teammates and he picked up five assists in the first half, as Crenca was there to finish plays around the basket and Joseph made three three-pointers.

Vermont got its lead to double digits for the first time when Joseph hit a three-pointer off of a kickout pass from Blakely to make it 31-19 with 6:02 left in the first half.

A later three by Joseph put the Catamounts ahead by 13 and they still led by 12 with 1:42 left before the Highlanders rallied for four points, all on free throws in the last 50 seconds to close the gap to 39-31.

Unfortunately for NJIT, the good free throw shooting it used to stay close in the first half abandoned the Highlanders in the second half, as they were outscored at foul line, 16-2, over the final 20 minutes.

NJIT will play nine of its next 10 games away from home. The only home contest between now and January 23 is a 2 pm game on December 30 in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center against NYU-Poly.

Before that, however, are four straight road games, beginning with a short ride to Jersey City and a game at Saint Peter's on Wednesday at 8 pm.