Box score
NEWARK, NJ—Senior forward
Isaiah Wilkerson posted game-high totals of 24 points and eight rebounds for NJIT in an 85-62 men's basketball win for the Highlanders over visiting Houston Baptist in the opening Great West Conference game for both teams Thursday night in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
Wilkerson, who came in leading the Great West in scoring at 15.5 points per game, matched his career single-game high, reaching 24 points for the third time. He first scored 24 as a freshman in January 2009, but didn't do it again until last week, when he again netted 24 points in a 71-70 loss at CSU Bakersfield on January 10. Now, he has reached his high mark twice in three games.
The senior, who is the all-time leading rebounder in NJIT's Division I era (since 2006-07) raised his career total in that category to 501 with Thursday night's eight boards against HBU.
NJIT, which is 7-1 at home, is 8-9 on the season overall. Coupled with last Saturday's 95-57 victory against SUNY Cobleskill, the Highlanders have posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
The Highlanders had three double-figure scorers in addition to Wilkerson. Sophomore guard
Lamar Kearse came off the NJIT bench for 15 points and seven rebounds. Starter
Ryan Woods added 11 points for the Highlanders and junior
Chris Flores scored 10 points to go with a game-high and personal career-best eight assists, which also tied the NJIT Division I record, done twice before (by Andrew Engel in December 2006 and by current Highlander
PJ Miller in 2010 vs. GWC foe North Dakota).
Houston Baptist (6-11) got a combined 25 points from its two primary post players, led by backup Art Bernardi, who scored 14 points, including 9-for-10 at the foul line.
The Huskies starting center, Joe Latas registered 11 points, plus a team-leading seven rebounds. However, eight of his points came in the opening 10 minutes and he became less effective when the Highlanders began dropping off to double-team him by helping in the post with the NJIT center playing behind him.
Junior forward Marcus Davis finished with 13 points for the Huskies, who remained winless in eight away games this season.
NJIT scored the first five points of the game, but the Huskies hung in and went on to take their biggest lead, 20-15, when Latas scored his seventh and eight points on a layup with 10:47 left.
There were four ties and four lead changes in the opening 14 minutes, the last at the 6:03 mark of the first half, when Woods hit a 3-pointer to make it 28-26 for NJIT.
The Highlanders closed the rest of the half 12-5, for a 40-31 halftime lead, paced by 14 points from Wilkerson.
NJIT's momentum carried into the second half, as it outscored the visitors, 13-5, in the opening 3:10 for a 53-36 lead with 16:50 on the clock.
Arjun Ohri and Kearse made back-to-back threes in a span of 22 seconds to cap the rally, as the Highlanders connected on seven of their first 10 3-point attempts in the game. They finished 10-for-18 from distance.
The Highlanders led by at least 20 points for the final 7:23 and their biggest lead was 25, which they reached twice, the first time at 81-56 on a Kearse free throw with 3:21 left.
Although NJIT had some difficulty finishing around the basket, the scoring in the paint was even between the two teams at 18-18, while Houston Baptist had a 15-8 advantage in second-chance points, despite a slight 36-33 rebounding edge for the Highlanders.
However, NJIT, which shot 10-for-18 (55.6 percent) on 3-pointers and 21-for-26 (80.8 percent) on free throws, turned 17 HBU turnovers into 27 points, compared to 10 points for the Huskies off 12 NJIT turnovers.
The fast-break points favored the Highlanders, 13-0, and NJIT's bench, led by Kearse's 15 points, outscored the HBU reserves, 30-19.
NJIT will continue in the Great West Conference on Saturday at 2 pm, when the Highlanders host Texas-Pan American in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center. UTPA, 6-15 overall, opened conference play Thursday night with a win, posting 72-65 decision at Chicago State.
