Game Notes (PDF)

HIGHLIGHTS:
•           NJIT attempts to stay undefeated against Division III teams, having gone 13-0 in its D-I era (2-0 this season). This is the last of the Highlanders' trio of D-III games on the schedule, though they have a date with NAIA Fisher (NH) College on Jan. 30.
•           In their last D-III matchup, he Highlanders defeated Lyndon State College, 98-42, on Nov. 27 for NJIT's largest margin of victory in its Division I era (which began in 2006-07). It was the program's largest win overall since defeating UConn-Stamford, 137-37, on Nov. 22, 1996.
•           NJIT owns an all-time average margin of victory of 37.5 ppg against D-III foes, though they did receive a scare in a 65-57 edging of St. Joseph's NY during the 2010-11 season.
•          At 5-5, NJIT is still off to the best start in its D-I era and its best since 2000-01 (6-4). Previously, the fastest the Highlanders ever achieved five wins occurred last season when they improved to 5-6 in Game 11 on Dec. 28, 2011. In fact, in three of these first six years, they never even reached the five-win plateau.
•          NJIT seeks to have a sixth win before the New Year for the first time in its D-I era (since 2006-07) and for the first time overall since 2000-01, when the D-II Highlanders started 6-2 through Dec. 15 (and 7-4 through Dec. 30).


NEWARK, N.J. – After an eight-day layoff, the Highlanders (5-5) will return to action to host Division III The City College of New York (4-6) on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Fleisher Athletic Center.

The finale of three scheduled contests against D-III opponents this year appears to come with perfect timing, as the Highlanders have had a long time to reflect on their most recent contest – a 76-71 home loss to North Carolina A&T (4-6) on Dec. 13.

Plus, next up is a date with traditional BIG EAST powerhouse Villanova at the Pavilion on Dec. 28.

Their loss to the Aggies – their first defeat at home this season and first since a 72-70 OT loss to CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 2 – snapped the Highlanders home winning streak at seven, one shy of setting a new program D-I record.

After starting with a 41-36 lead at the half, the Highlanders were outscored, 40-30, by the Aggies in the second half. North Carolina A&T also out rebounded NJIT, 47-37, while holding the home team to 38.5 percent from the field.

After shooting 40 percent or better in five of their first six affairs, the Highlanders have been held to less than 39 percent in their last four games – connecting on just a combined 87-253 (.345) during the span.

The Highlanders are led by a pair of co-captains who comprise two of the top three scorers in the Great West Conference – a duo that has accounted for 46 percent of the team's nightly scoring.

Senior G Chris Flores continues to lead the GWC at 17.7 points per game – a figure that ranks 70^th in the nation. The preseason GWC Player of the Year is also leading the circuit with 2.0 steals per game while placing sixth at 2.9 assists per game.

Senior F Ryan Woods is second among Highlanders in both scoring (14.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 rpg). The Staten Island native is averaging a conference-best 3.1 three-pointers per game, which ranks 24^th in the nation, while draining at 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. He has also connected on 23 of 24 free-throw attempts to lead the GWC at .958 from the line.

Over the past three games, Woods and Flores have been the only double-digit scorers for NJIT. With opposing defenses beginning to key on the tandem, they've combined to shoot just 32.7 percent (36-110) during these contests. Fortunately, they've combined to blaze at 42.1 percent (24-57) from beyond the arc within the same span.

In fact, as a team, the Highlanders have posted a 38.8 percentage from downtown to lead the GWC and rank 33^rd in the nation. NJIT continues to lead the GWC in both scoring offense (70.0 ppg) and scoring defense (62.4 ppg).

While team defense has been a trademark under Head Coach Jim Engles -- as the Highlanders are 21^st in the nation by holding opponents to a 36.9 field-goal percentage – the team rebounding has been a pleasant surprise. The Highlanders have a conference-leading +3.4 rebounding margin and rank 19^th in the nation in grabbing 42.1 boards per game. Over the past two campaigns, the Highlanders are 15-7 (.682) when they out-rebound their opponent.

On an individual basis, freshman F Terrence Smith leads the team at 7.0 rpg – a figure that is tied for second in GWC behind Utah Valley's Ben Aird (7.6 rpg).

Meanwhile, senior G PJ Miller leads the GWC in assists (4.6 apg) and is second behind Flores in steals (1.9 spg). 

Prior to conference play, the Highlanders sport the top record in the GWC.


THE BEAVER TALE:

The Beavers, who participate in the City University of New York Athletic Conference, have been idle for 10 days following a 76-50 home drubbing by College of Staten Island (5-1) – a team that advanced to the D-III Men's Basketball Sweet 16 last season.

In that game, the Dolphins shot 56 percent while holding the Beavers to 32 percent. In fact, CSI out-rebounded CCNY, 51-29. The Beavers did record 16 steals while creating 23 turnovers in the losing effort.

Sophomore Anthony Lewis led all Beavers with 14 points and paces the Aggies attack this season averaging 14.4 ppg and a second-best 7.0 rpg. Meanwhile, junior Brandon Reeves – who posted 12 points, nine rebounds, three steals and a block against CSI – is second on CCNY in scoring (12.6 ppg) while leading in rebounding (7.2 rpg).

Both Lewis (16.8) and Reeves (16.6) started the season with five consecutive double-figure scoring performances.

Senior Paul Dail sports a Beavers-best 4.4 apg and 23 steals.

Led by second-year Head Coach Tom Green, CCNY took just three games (3-0) to eclipse its win total from 2011-12 (2-23).

Green previously spent 26 seasons guiding Farleigh Dickinson University from 1983-2009. He left FDU as not only the winningest all-time coach in school history, but also in Northeast Conference (NEC) history.

CCNY has a very interesting history – featuring a 1950 Division I NCAA National Championship in which the Beavers defeated Bradley University, 71-68, at Madison Square Garden (the other Final Four teams were Baylor and N.C. State). The program also won the National Invitation Tournament that season, becoming the only team in men's college basketball history to win both the NIT and the NCAA Tournament in the same year.

However, the very next season, the team was the focus of an historical point-shaving scandal that involved at least 33 players and six other programs (New York University, Long Island University, Manhattan College, Bradley, University of Kentucky and the University of Toledo).

As a result, CCNY immediately dropped down to the D-III ranks and is now the only championship team in NCAA history that is not currently a D-I member. The program was also banned from playing at MSG.

LIU shut down its entire athletic program from 1951 to 1957 and didn't return to D-I until the 1980s. The NCAA Tournament would not return to metropolitan New York until 1982.


Write-up courtesy of Matt Provence