Game Notes (PDF)


HIGHLIGHTS:
•           Including conference tournament games, NJIT is 21-19 (.525) all-time against GWC teams -- officially 18-16 since conference play started 2009-10. In fact, that record is 16-10 (.615) over the past two seasons.
•           Since their Division I era began in 2006-07, the Highlanders have lost more games against UVU (11) than against any other program.
•           NJIT has dropped three straight games for the first time this season and for the first time since 2/6/12-2/22/12. The Highlanders have not lost four consecutive contests since losing six in a row from 12/8/10-1/4/11 two seasons ago.
•           NJIT is looking for its first road win since 2/4/12 at Chicago State (73-64). The Highlanders have gone 0-6 this year (four in BIG EAST) and winless in their last eight overall away from Fleisher Athletic Center.
•           NJIT leads the GWC in many key categories: scoring offense (70.3 ppg) and defense (64.9 ppg), FG percentage defense (.374), three-point FG percentage defense (.309), rebounding margin (+2.8), turnover margin (+1.5) and blocks (5.9 bpg).


OREM, UT – NJIT opens Great West Conference play on Saturday with perhaps its toughest challenge of the eight-game slate – a road contest against preseason No. 1 Utah Valley University (7-9). The Highlanders have never defeated the Wolverines in Orem (0-6) and are just 1-8 all-time in the UCCU Center, having defeated Houston Baptist there in the First Round of the 2011 GWC Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. MT (9:05 p.m. EST).

Utah Valley also defeated NJIT in both regular season games last season – including a 99-97 double-overtime thriller at Fleisher Athletic Center in the finale on Feb. 9. However, the Highlanders had “the last say” when they defeated the No. 1 seeded Wolverines in overtime, 88-78, in the Second Round of the conference tournament last season at Chicago State.

In that game, NJIT outscored the Wolverines by seven in the second half and by 10 in overtime for the upset victory. G Chris Flores tied a GWC Tournament record by scoring a season-high 27 points, shooting 10-for-18 from the field -- including 5-for-7 on three-pointers -- while posting game-high totals for assists (5) and steals (3).

Plus, Flores contributed greatly on the other end of the court primarily guarding the 2011-12 GWC leading scorer, Isiah Williams. Despite Williams scoring a team-leading 26 points, he was held to just 7-for-26 (.269) from the floor.

Ryan Woods netted 16 points (4-for-6 from deep) and grabbed six rebounds. PJ Miller had 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting to round out NJIT's double-figure scorers.

That win was just the second ever for NJIT over Utah Valley – the team that has defeated the Highlanders more times than any other program in NJIT's Division I era with 11 victories in 13 tries.

Now, NJIT will be forced to bare down after its first three-game losing streak of the season – which included its worst defeat of the season in an 83-66 defeat at Lafayette (6-10) on Wednesday. The 17-point loss was the Highlanders' worst since losing by 23 at Utah Valley on Jan. 28, 2012 – a span of 26 games.

Previously, their worst loss was a 70-60 defeat at Villanova on Dec. 28 as part of a rugged early-season schedule that has featured four road bouts against BIG EAST opponents.

Flores continues to pace the GWC at 16.5 points per game. In fact, the preseason GWC Player of the Year is also leading the circuit with 2.1 steals per game while placing fifth at 2.9 assists per contests. However, as opposing defenses have continued to suffocate the three-time GWC Second-Team selection, Flores has only averaged 14.3 ppg on .341 (31-91) shooting over the past six affairs.

In seven career games against the Wolverines, Flores is averaging 18.7 ppg on .463 shooting (49-for-106) and .429 (18-for-42) from downtown. The Dorchester, Mass., native has also posted 3.0 apg and 2.0 spg versus Utah Valley.

Woods is second among Highlanders in both scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.1 rpg) – and has held at least a share of the team's scoring lead in in each of the past four Division I games. The conference's third leading scorer ranks second in the GWC in three-pointers made per game (2.8) and three-point marksmanship (.394). He has also connected on 35 of 38 free-throw attempts to pace the GWC at .921 from the line.

Meanwhile, senior G PJ Miller leads the GWC in assists at 4.4 apg and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.6). The native of Fort Washington, Md., has scored in double-digits the last three games (12.3 ppg) for the first time in his four-year career.

With the two significant injuries in the frontcourt, two sophomores have been able to successfully shoulder the load. Daquan Holiday, who is coming off a Division I career-high nine points at Lafayette, has averaged 6.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 1.0 spg over his last six games. The Allentown, Pa., product has not missed a field goal (9-for-9) in his last three contests. Additionally, he leads the GWC with 1.8 bpg despite averaging only 14.4 mpg.

Sophomore Odera Nweke, who started the season with a pair of DNPs, had a career performance against Villanova with career-highs in minutes (27), points (eight), rebounds (six) and steals (three). In his last four games, the Richmond, Texas, native is averaging 6.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg.

NJIT won six games 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 6-2 through Dec. 15 (and 7-4 through Dec. 30).

Including the conference tournament games, the Highlanders are 21-19 (.525) all-time in GWC contests. In fact, that record is 16-10 (.615) over the past two seasons.

According to the up-to-date 2013 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings, NJIT has an RPI of 290 while Utah Valley is at 295.


OREM FORUM:

Utah Valley will begin conference play Saturday with hopes of a "three-peat" as Great West Conference regular-season champions. The Wolverines have won 21 of their last 23 GWC regular-season affairs -- going 20-2 overall over the past two campaigns.

The home team should be well rested for this contest, having not played since last Saturday's 76-69 loss at host Chattanooga in the Championship Game of the 23rd Dr Pepper Classic.

In that game, junior point guard Holton Hunsaker scored a career-high 37 points in the losing effort -- tying a school record with eight three-pointers. He scored 28 of his points in the second half, including seven treys.

Hunsaker posted a 21-point effort in a first-round win over Austin Peay (84-77) on Friday. The son of Head Coach Dick Hunsaker has averaged 14.8 ppg and 3.4 apg in five career matchups with NJIT.

Through Dec. 30, Utah Valley has scored the sixth most points in the country while allowing the second-highest total. The
Wolverines feature four players who average double-figures in scoring: Hunsaker (13.3 ppg), junior C Ben Aird (12.8 ppg), senior F Alonzo Hubbard (10.9) and senior F Nick Thompson (10.6).

Hunsaker leads the Wolverines in scoring at 13.3 ppg while shooting .414 from the floor and .353 from beyond the arc. He is second on the team in assists behind a 6-9 ball-handling forward Nick Thompson (4.3 apg) – who trails only Miller for the conference's assist lead.

Thompson – a transfer from Oklahoma who is also second on the team in rebounding (7.1) – recorded the first triple-double in program history last Friday, logging 13 points, 10 rebounds and a school-record 12 assists against Auston Peay. He is one of just seven players in the nation to log a triple-double this season.

Aird, the GWC's leading rebounder (8.1 apg) and shooter (.576), netted a career-high 26 points along with eight rebounds in the win last Friday. He is behind only Holiday for the conference lead at 1.6 bpg. The 6-9 center has three double-doubles in five career meetings with the Highlanders, averaging 12.8 ppg and 10.4 rpg all-time against NJIT.

An extremely versatile team offensively, the Wolverines lead the conference in both assists (15.2 apg) and field-goal percentage (.456).

The two teams have had one common opponent this season in North Carolina A&T. Utah Valley won its second game of the season in Greensboro, 64-55, while the Aggies defeated the Highlanders, 76-71, in Newark on Nov. 13.


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. Audio coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with tip-off set for 7:05 p.m.


Write-up courtesy of Matt Provence