Box Score
NEWARK, NJ— Senior Andrew Puzyk scored 16 points to lead four double-figure scorers in visiting Houston Baptist's 65-49 win over NJIT in men's college basketball Tuesday night in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
Houston Baptist, which got its first road win of the season, outscored NJIT, 24-4, between the last three minutes of the first half and the first 6:28 of the second half, turning a 22-20 deficit into a 44-26 lead with 13:32 remaining in the game.
Baron Sauls, who would finish with 15 points, including 11 in the first half, accounted for five points in his team's 9-0 run to close the first half and Puzyk hit three three-pointers in the first 5:37 to key the 15-4 surge that opened the second half.
In addition to Puzyk's 16 points and Sauls' 15, Houston Baptist got 13 points from senior Gordon Watt and 11 off the bench from junior Mario Flaherty. Watt led the HBU rebounders with a game-high nine and Sauls collected eight rebounds and a game-high five assists.
NJIT lost despite a game-high 18 points from freshman guard Isaiah Wilkerson, while junior Gary Garris added 10 points. Wilkerson, who has played in 14 college games, has reached double-figure scoring in each of the last 13 contests.
Wilkerson, Garris and Dan Stonkus all grabbed seven boards to lead the Highlanders, who had a slim 39-38 team rebounding advantage. The seven rebounds matched a career high for Wilkerson.
Houston Baptist, which trailed, 11-3 after NJIT's Wilkerson hit a three-pointer with 11:03 remaining in the first half, took its first lead, 13-12, on a free throw by Flaherty with 8:32 left in the half as part of a 12-1 run. There were two more lead changes before the Huskies went on top for good with its 9-0 finish to the first half that found the Huskies with a 29-22 lead. HBU's Sauls and NJIT's Wilkerson shared game scoring honors at the midpoint, with 11 points apiece.
Although the points-off-turnovers count of 9-5 for Houston Baptist wasn't as bad as it might have been for the Highlanders, their offense was undermined by 15 first-half turnovers that helped the visitors get off nine more attempts in the opening 20 minutes.
NJIT trimmed the turnovers to five in the second half, but it was to little avail, as Houston Baptist shot 14-for-24 (58 percent) from the field over the last 20 minutes.
The game was the first all-time men's basketball meeting between the schools who will meet again on February 21 in Houston. Beginning next season, both schools will be part of the Great West Conference.
The Highlanders will break for more than week before hosting Utah Valley on February 12 at 8 pm in the Prudential Center. That game is part of a doubleheader with NJIT and Utah Valley matching up in a women's game at 6 pm.
