NEWARK, NJ—Freshman guard Lamar Kearse came off the NJIT bench for a game-high 22 points in a 79-60 basketball win the Highlanders over visiting Texas-Pan American Wednesday night in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

Kearse, whose previous scoring high was 13 against Army back on November 18, surpassed that total with 15 first-half points, as he made all five of his shots from the floor, including three three-pointers. As a team, the Highlanders shot 16-for-24 (67 percent) in the opening period en route to a 41-29 halftime lead.

NJIT (4-10, 1-0 Great West) also got 17 points and a game-high 7 rebounds from junior Isaiah Wilkerson and 12 points and 4 steals from sophomore Chris Flores, who has double-figure scoring in five of the last six games.

Sophomore Brandon Provost led Texas-Pan American (3-15, 0-1 Great West), with 15 points, all of which came on 5-for-7 three-point shooting. The only other double-figure scorer for the Broncs was senior Perry Petty (11 points)

NJIT was the superior team on Wednesday night in a lot of statistical categories. The Highlanders had a 26-17 overall rebounding advantage, allowing the visitors just one offensive rebound all night and that was further reflected in NJIT's 10-3 lead in second-chance points.

The winners also made 10 steals, which contributed to 24 UTPA turnovers and a 35-16 NJIT lead in points-off-of-turnovers. The Highlanders also came out on top in points in the paint (28-22), fast-break points (15-2), and bench points (31-14, with 22 of those points coming from Kearse alone.

Further, NJIT which had not outscored a Division I opponent at the foul line in 10 previous tries and had lost four games in which it outscored the opposition by double-figures from the field, outscored the visiting Broncs, 23-10, at the line Wednesday night.

The Highlanders, who trailed briefly early, went ahead to stay after Wilkerson made it 9-8 on a free throw with 15:10 left in the first half. NJIT then outscored the visitors, 12-3, over the next 4:25 for a 21-11 lead on Kearse's first three with 10:45 on the first-half clock.

Leading by six at the 5:40 mark, 27-21, after a three for Provost of the Broncs, NJIT went on a 14-4 run over the next 4:22 to claim its biggest lead of the first half, 41-25, at 1:18.

Ahead by 12 points at halftime, the Highlanders saw their lead sink as low as nine points once, 48-39 with 16:27 remaining. But they went on another big run—18-5 over the next 4:20 and took what would be their biggest lead, 66-44, when Flores made the second of two free throws with 12:07 left.

NJIT, which has back-to-back wins for the first time this season after defeating Marywood last Saturday and then UTPA, will continue Great West Conference play with a game on Saturday at 4 pm against Houston Baptist in the Fleisher Athletic Center.