Box score

NEWARK, NJ—The NJIT men's basketball Division I record books got a workout in Saturday afternoon's 94-51 non-conference victory over visiting Longwood in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
 
Most noticeable, the Highlanders (12-16) made 18 3-point baskets, a new program Division I record (began DI competition in 2006-07), topping the 16 NJIT made against Chicago State on March 5, 2011.
 
NJIT's 18 3-pointers against Longwood ties for the third-highest total in Division I nationally this season. Ironically, Longwood, which made 20 threes in a December win over VMI, shares the national Division I season-high with Northwestern, which made 20 against Mississippi Valley, also in December.
 
Saturday's 43-point margin of victory was also the most for NJIT against another Division I program, topping the 32-point margin against Chicago State last March 5, when the Highlanders won, 78-46. NJIT's biggest previous margin in a non-conference Division I win had been 20, in a 78-58 win earlier this season over Lafayette on January 2.
 
The Highlanders who shot 18-for-36 from distance against Longwood, also set a new program Division I record for 3-point attempts (previously 33 vs. Manhattan on November 13, 2010) and tied the school DI record for assists (25, also in the March 2011 win over Chicago State).
 
NJIT also committed just four turnovers on Saturday, a new program Division I low, replacing the old mark of seven, done last year vs. South Dakota and earlier this season at Utah Valley.
 
Longwood's .290 field goal percentage (18-for-62) was the lowest this season by a Division I team against the Highlanders, supplanting Army's .316 (18-for-57) in a 54-53 win for NJIT at West Point on November 30.
 
Individually, sophomore Lamar Kearse set a new program Division I record with nine assists, topping the old mark of eight, which had been done three times, once each by his teammates Chris Flores and PJ Miller and in December 2006 by Andrew Engel.
 
Senior Isaiah Wilkerson led the NJIT scorers with 17 points and shared the team rebounding lead, with seven. He also made a game-best three steals and, with 3-for-4 3-point shooting, was one of five Highlanders to make at least three triples on the day.
 
The program's career Division I leader in points and rebounds, Wilkerson crossed the 1,500-point threshold, going to 1,509 (#7 on the all-time list, including pre-NCAA, Division III and Division II), and, with 586 rebounds, he is one shy of Phil Renaud (2000-04) for 10th on the overall career rebounds list.
 
In addition to Wilkerson's 17 points, NJIT got 16 points—all in the first half—from Ryan Woods, 15 from Chris Flores and 10 from PJ Miller.
 
After the program Division I-record nine assists for Kearse, Flores added seven assists and did not have a turnover.
 
Wilkerson and Ryan Regis shared the Highlander rebounding lead, with seven apiece.
 
NJIT coach Jim Engles played 14 men, 13 of whom scored, and none played more than Wilkerson's 26 minutes.
 
NJIT assumed near total control from the beginning, scoring the game's first 11 points—nine on 3-point baskets—in the opening three minutes.
 
The Highlanders, who shot just 4-for-21 on threes in an 85-70 loss at Longwood on January 7, made their fifth three on Saturday just 7:32 into the game, when an Arjun Ohri triple gave them their first double-digit lead of the game, 21-9, with 12:28 left in the first half.
 
NJIT took its first 20-point lead, 31-11, on a Miller drive with 10:05 left in the half and the home team led by at least 20 for the last 7:10 of the first half.
 
The score at the break was 55-28, NJIT, powered by 12-for-20 3-point shooting and just one turnover in the opening 20 minutes. Woods (5-8 FGs, 4-7 on 3s, 2-2 FT) led all scorers with 16 points, followed by Wilkerson, with nine. Tristan Carey paced the visitors with 10 points at the break.
 
On top by 27 at halftime, NJIT scored the first nine points of the second half and led by at least 30 for the last 19 minutes. Although the Highlanders' shooting cooled a bit in the second half, they made up for it on defense, holding Longwood to 8-for-31 (26.9 percent) from the field over the last 20 minutes.
 
Longwood (10-19) picked up a game-high 18 points from senior Antwan Carter, but the outstanding center who has bedeviled the Highlanders throughout his career, was barely a factor on Saturday, connecting on 7 of 19 shots (36.8 percent) and getting 10 of his points in the final 7:24, by which time his team trailed by 48.
 
Saturday's performance was a departure from the norm in Carter's career against the Highlanders. In six previous games against NJIT, he had four double-doubles and averaged 21.3 points and 10.5 rebounds. In Longwood's January win against the Highlanders he finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds and he picked up 29 points and 11 rebounds the last time he was in Newark in February 2011.
 
The only other double-figure scorer for the Lancers on Saturday was the sophomore guard, Carey, who finished with 16 points. Longwood senior forward Jan van der Kooij led all rebounders with 13, tying his career high. NJIT won the team rebounding, 43-35.
 
The Highlanders will play their final regular season game on Saturday, March 3, at approximately 4 pm in a Great West Conference matchup with Chicago State. That game is part of the only home basketball doubleheader of the season and will be preceded by the women's game between NJIT and Chicago State, which is set for 2 pm in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
 
Next week's game will also be preceded Senior Day ceremonies recognizing the program's five seniors: Isaiah Wilkerson, Ryan Regis, Arjun Ohri, Sammy Schickel, and Teddy Schickel.