Game Notes (PDF)


HIGHLIGHTS:
•           NJIT plays its first game against a Division-I foe since Dec. 13. Both teams last played on Dec. 22.
•           The Highlanders are 0-14 against the BIG EAST all-time and 0-3 this season. However, NJIT has lost by a total of just 18 points (6.0 points per game) in its three tries this season. Prior to this year, NJIT had lost to Big East teams by an average of 25.7 points, with five of those losses by at least 25 points
•           NJIT leads the GWC in many key categories: scoring offense (70.1 ppg) and defense (60.6 ppg), FG percentage defense (.360), three-point FG percentage offense (.378) and defense (.298), rebounding margin (+4.0), turnover margin (+2.8), blocks (6.4 bpg) and steals (9.6 spg).  
•          At 6-5, NJIT is off to the best start in its D-I era (since 2006-07) and its best since 2000-01 (7-4). Previously, the fastest the Highlanders ever achieved six wins occurred last season when they improved to 6-7 in Game 13 on Jan. 2.
•          NJIT seeks to have a seventh win before the New Year for the first time in its D-I era and for the first time overall since 2000-01, when the D-II Highlanders started 7-4 through Dec. 30.


NEWARK, N.J. – The Highlanders (6-5) will take to the court for the first time since Dec. 22 -- and for the first time against a Division-I opponent in 15 days – when they visit Villanova (8-4) on Friday. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Pavilion.

And the Wildcats are no ordinary opponent, as the BIG EAST perennial power has won four consecutive games, including an 83-56 road lambasting of Monmouth in its previous affair on Dec. 22.

The 1985 National Champions and four-time BIG EAST champions have appeared in 16 Sweet Sixteens and four Final Fours – including most  recently in 2009.

At 8-4, Villanova is successfully rebounding from a 13-19 season in 2011-12 – its first losing campaign since 2002-03 (15-16) and just its second under twelfth-year Head Coach Jay Wright.

The Highlanders, meanwhile, took care of Division III The City College of New York (4-7) on Dec. 22. Senior G Chris Flores led the way with a team-high 14 points while freshman G Ky Howard netted 13 and freshman G Mitch Farrell had 12. NJIT shot only 38.2 percent from the floor, but held the Beavers to 27.6 percent.

The Highlanders also out-rebounded the Beavers, 47-37, and registered a season-high 17 thefts – their largest total since logging 17 against D-III NYU-Poly on Dec. 30, 2009.

Whereas the Highlanders are 0-3 against BIG EAST teams this season and 0-14 all-time, NJIT has provided a scare to its BCS conference competition into the second half of each of its last five tries.

This season, NJIT took a 63-62 lead in the opener at Providence College with 4:17 remaining – the latest the program had ever led against a BIG EAST foe. The Highlanders wound up losing, 64-63, on a free throw by the conference's current leading scorer Bryce Cotton with :05 left in regulation.

Against St. John's on Dec. 1, the Highlanders set a new program-high when they led a BIG EAST team by 14 points – going up 37-23 on a jumper for freshman F Terrence Smith :30 into the second half. The Highlanders led as late as 6:25 remaining in the game before the Red Storm ended on a 13-2 run for a 57-49 victory.

After tying Seton Hall at 36-36 early in the second half of their 2011 meeting, NJIT trailed by four points inside the final two minutes of this season's edition on Dec. 4.

In sum, the Highlanders have lost by a total of just 18 points (6.0 points per game) in their three BIG EAST meetings. Prior to this year, NJIT had lost to Big East teams by an average of 25.7 points, with five of those losses by at least 25 points.

This matchup at Villanova is their fourth and final such contest this season.

Senior G Chris Flores continues to lead the GWC at 17.4 points per game. In fact, the preseason GWC Player of the Year is also leading the circuit with 2.2 steals per game while placing fifth at 2.9 assists per game.

Senior F Ryan Woods is second among Highlanders in both scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.1 rpg). The Staten Island native is averaging a conference-best 2.8 three-pointers per game, while sporting a top-ranked .403 percent from beyond the arc. He has also connected on 24 of 26 free-throw attempts to pace the GWC at .923 from the line.

Over the past three D-I 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 37.8 percentage from downtown to lead the GWC and rank 33^rd in the nation entering the week. NJIT continues to lead the GWC in both scoring offense (70.1 ppg) and scoring defense (60.6 ppg).

Team defense has been a trademark under Head Coach Jim Engles, as the Highlanders entered last week ranked 21^st in the nation by holding opponents to .369 from the floor (a figure now down to .360).

But so far this season, the team rebounding has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise. The Highlanders have a conference-leading +4.0 rebounding margin and rank ninth in the nation in grabbing 42.5 boards per game. Over the past two campaigns, the Highlanders are 16-7 (.696) when they out-rebound their opponent.

However, the rebounding effort could be affected by the potential loss of freshman F Terrence Smith, who did not play in the previous game and remains day-to-day until further evaluation with a left foot injury. Smith leads the team at 7.0 rpg – a figure that ranks fourth in the GWC behind Utah Valley's Ben Aird (7.6 rpg).

With Smith's absence, look for increased minutes from sophomore F Daquan Holiday, who has averaged 7.0 ppg, 5.7 ppg, 2.7 bpg and 1.7 spg over his last three games. In fact, the former William Allen (Allentown, Pa.) high school standout leads the GWC with 1.7 bpg despite averaging only 12.3 mpg. The Highlanders collectively rank 12^th in the nation at 6.4 bpg.

Meanwhile, senior G PJ Miller leads the GWC in assists (4.5 apg) and is second behind Flores in steals (1.7 spg).

In their last contest against a D-I opponent, NJIT suffered a 76-71 home loss at Fleisher Athletic Center on Dec 13. If you take out both the three BIG EAST games and the three D-III affairs, the Highlanders remain 3-2 with wins against New Hampshire, South Carolina State (home) and Army and defeats to South Carolina State (away) and North Carolina A&T.

Prior to conference play, the Highlanders sport the top overall record in the GWC – and the only winning record.


THE WILDCAT FORMATION:

After starting 4-0, Villanova lost four of its next five games. The span culminated with a 76-61 home loss to fellow Big Five member Temple on Dec. 5.

Since that season's low point, the Wildcats have reeled off four straight wins by an average margin of victory of 13.5 points. This includes an 83-56 road trouncing of Monmouth in which Villanova outshot the home team, .548-.346. The Wildcats also finished 15-22 (.682) from beyond the arc.

Sophomore F JayVaughn Pinkston led the Widcats with a game-high tying 16 points and a contest-best eight assists. Junior G James Bell finished with 15 points and five rebounds.

For the year, Pinkston leads Villanova in scoring (12.4 ppg) and is second in rebounding (4.8 rpg). Bell is second in scoring (11.5 ppg) and has connected at 43.3 percent (24-53) from downtown. Over the past two games, the Wildcats have combined to drain at 54.3 percent (25-46) from beyond the arc. For the year, they rank third in the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage (.373).

Senior C Mouphtaou Yarou, who immigrated to the United States from Benin in 2007, paces the Wildcats in rebounding (5.1 rpg) and freshman G Ryan Arcidiacono has posted a team-best 3.6 assists per game.

The Wildcats rank second to last in the BIG EAST in scoring defense (66.8 ppg) and are one of just three teams in the conference to have a negative turnover margin (-0.75; 14^th).

Villanova was selected to finish 12^th out of 15 teams in the annual BIG EAST preseason coaches' poll.


Fans can follow all the action live on www.njithighlanders.com, which will carry a live webcast play-by-play and commentary from Matt Provence, as well as an in-game real-time stat feed. Audio coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with tip-off set for 7:05 p.m.


Write-up courtesy of Matt Provence