Game Notes (PDF)


HIGHLIGHTS:
•           NJIT is 4-6 all-time against teams from the Northeast Conference; but 0-2 all-time against St. Francis Brooklyn. This is the Highlanders first of two meetings with an NEC opponent this season.
•          With a win, NJIT will have its fourth win of the season against a non-conference Division I opponent – tying its program best from last season (wins over Army, Fairleigh Dickinson, Lafayette, Longwood). This season, they've defeated New Hampshire (AEC), South Carolina State (MEAC) and Army (Patriot).
•          At 6-6, NJIT is still off to the best start in its D-I era (since 2006-07) and its best since 2000-01 (7-5).
•          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.
•           NJIT leads the GWC in many key categories: scoring offense (69.2 ppg) and defense (61.4 ppg), FG percentage defense (.355), three-point FG percentage offense (.380) and defense (.284), rebounding margin (+4.0), turnover margin (+1.7), blocks (6.2 bpg) and steals (9.3 spg).


NEWARK, N.J. – Less than 48 hours after an undermanned -- yet hard-fought – defeat at Villanova, the Highlanders (6-6) will return to action to host St. Francis Brooklyn (3-7) on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m., but will take place 30 minutes after the women's game as the finale of a women's/men's doubleheader at Fleisher Athletic Center. The NJIT women will first battle Rhode Island beginning at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Terriers haven't competed in seven days since a 73-61 home win over Colgate (3-9) on Dec. 22. St. Francis Brooklyn defeated NJIT by a 79-60 score in Newark on Nov. 26 last season. The Northeast Conference member leads the all-time matchup with the Highlanders, 2-0.

On Friday, the Highlanders fell short in a 70-60 loss to the Wildcats at the Pavilion. Though limited to an eight-man rotation, NJIT was tied with the BIG EAST perennial power with fewer than six minutes remaining in regulation. A three-point play by its leading scorer JayVaughn Pinkston with 5:33 to go sparked a game-ending 16-6 run for Villanova.

For the first time this season, the Highlanders played without two of their top rebounders, as both freshman F Terrence Smith and junior F Quentin Bastian were sidelined with left foot injuries. Neither is expected back for the matchup with the Terriers.

Leading scorer Chris Flores also missed significant time in the second half due to injury (leg cramping).

Regardless, the Highlanders sparred competitive for the fourth time in four tries against BIG EAST opponents this season – all meetings taking place on the road. NJIT lost these four contests by an average of just 7.0 points per game -- none larger than the 10-point defeat on Friday. Prior to this season, NJIT had lost its first 11 games against said foes by an average of 25.7 points with five loses by at least 25 points.

In last season's meeting with St. Francis Brooklyn, Ben Mockford (22) and Akeem Johnson (19) combined for 41 points as the Terriers upended the Highlanders, 79-60, in Newark.

The Highlanders were actually leading, 27-25, with 4:15 left in the first half. But a 13-0 Terriers' run to close out the half – coupled with a 10-2 spurt to start the second half – put St. Francis Brooklyn ahead comfortable and for good. In fact, NJIT did not pull any closer than 14 the rest of the way.

The Highlanders, who were led in scoring by Isaiah Wilkerson (15), committed 19 turnovers and were out-rebounded, 39-27. Chris Flores finished with 13 points and Ryan Woods tallied 11.

This season, Flores continues to pace the GWC at 16.8 points per game. In fact, the preseason GWC Player of the Year is also leading the circuit with 2.0 steals per game while placing fifth at 2.8 assists per game.

Senior F Ryan Woods is second among Highlanders in both scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg). The Staten Island native is averaging a conference-best 2.8 three-pointers per game, while sporting a top-ranked .415 percent from beyond the arc. He has also connected on 26 of 28 free-throw attempts to pace the GWC at .929 from the line.

Meanwhile, senior G PJ Miller leads the GWC in assists (4.6 apg) and is second behind Flores in steals (1.7 spg).

With the two significant injuries in the frontcourt, two sophomores have been able to successfully shoulder the load. Daquan Holiday – a William Allen (Pa.) high school teammate of Terriers' standout Jalen Cannon -- has averaged 6.3 ppg, 5.3 ppg, 2.5 bpg, 1.5 spg over his last four games. In fact, he also leads the GWC with 1.8 bpg despite averaging only 12.9 mpg.

Sophomore Odera Nweke, who started the season with a pair of DNPs, had a career performance against Villanova despite being vastly undersized against the Wildcats' frontcourt. The 6-5 product of Richmond, Texas, played a career-high 27 minutes and posted Division I career-highs in points (eight), rebounds (six) and steals (three) while also contributing an assist and a block. In his last two games, Nweke is averaging 8.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 2.0 spg.

NJIT's defense continues to be the signature facet of its play this season. Most recently, the Highlanders held a hot Wildcats' offense to just 30.8 percent (20-65) from the floor and 18.5 percent (5-27) from downtown. In its prior two appearances, Villanova had blazed at 49.0 percent and 54.3 percent, respectively. NJIT entered the week as the nation's 21st best field-goal percentage defense -- a figure that has since shrunk to just 35.5 percent.

In their inaugural meeting, the Terriers buried the Highlanders, 72-47, on Dec. 30, 2010, in Brooklyn.

According to the up-to-date 2013 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings, St. Francis Brooklyn has an RPI of 231 while NJIT is at 279.


THE K-9-1-1

The Terriers win over Colgate last Saturday snapped a five-game losing streak. St. Francis Brooklyn, selected to place fifth in the preseason NEC coaches' poll, had started 2-2 with road wins over Lafayette and Brown.

Sunday's combatants have had one common opponent so far this season. St. Francis Brooklyn lost to St. John's on a neutral floor, 77-60, on Dec. 15 (Barclays Winter Classic) – the same Red Storm squad that outlasted the Highlanders at home, 68-59, on Dec. 1.

Sophomore F Jalen Cannon, who had six points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench in Newark last season, is the Terriers' leading scorer at 16.6 ppg – a figure that ranks tied for fifth in the NEC. Perhaps more impressively, the Allentown, Pa., native has posted a conference-leading .651 shooting percentage.

A member of the NEC All-Rookie Team last season, Cannon also currently holds a share of the NEC lead by averaging 9.3 rebounds per game.

Johnson, who burned the Highlanders for 19 points and six rebounds in the previous meeting, is second on the team in both scoring (10,4 ppg) and rebounding (5.0 rpg).

Redshirt sophomore G Brent Jones is averaging 4.5 assists per game – which ranks fourth in the NEC – while contributing 4.7 ppg.

As a team, the Terriers have shot 42.8 percent from the floor – but have allowed opponents to connect at 46.7 percent and 38.4 percent from beyond the arc. In addition, they have been out-rebounded by 3.4 boards per game while averaging nearly two turnovers more per game than their opponents.

The Terriers are one of just five schools that have never made the NCAA Tournament despite being members of Division I since the modern re-classification in 1948. The others are William & Mary, Army, Northwestern and the Citadel.


Write-up courtesy of Matt Provence