Game Notes (PDF)


HIGHLIGHTS:
•           NJIT has won four consecutive meetings with Chicago State. The Highlanders last loss to the Cougars occurred March 6, 2010, at the Jones Convocation Center three seasons ago.
•           With a win Saturday, NJIT will have its sixth all-time win against Chicago State – which would mark its largest total against any program in its D-I era (which began 2006-07). Currently, the Highlanders are 5-5 against the Cougars. They have also amassed five all-time victories against North Dakota (5-2).
•           Including conference tournament games, NJIT is 22-19 (.537) all-time vs. GWC teams -- officially 19-16 since conference play began in 2009-10. In fact, the Highlanders conference record is 17-10 (.630) over the past three seasons.
•           With a win Saturday, NJIT will have a .500 record through 16 games (8-8) for the first time in its D-I era. Previously, the Highlanders best mark through 16 games in the era was 7-9 from last season.
•           NJIT leads the GWC in many key categories: scoring offense (69.4 ppg) and defense (64.1 ppg), FG percentage defense (.370), three-point FG percentage defense (.299), rebounding margin (+3.8), turnover margin (+0.93) and blocks (5.8 bpg).


NEWARK, NJ – Fresh off its first-ever road win against Utah Valley in Orem, Utah, NJIT (7-8, 1-0) will look to start conference play with back-to-back wins when it hosts Chicago State (4-13, 0-1) on Saturday. 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 kick-off with a conference battle against UTPA beginning at 2 p.m.

The Highlanders have won four straight bouts with the Cougars, including two-game sweeps in each of the last two seasons. In the last meeting, Ryan Woods scored 15 points and Isaiah Wilkerson had a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds) in NJIT's 58-50 home win on March 3, 2012 (Senior Day). The Highlanders also won the match-up in Chicago, 73-64, on Feb, 4.

Despite a week between games, the Highlanders should be riding the momentum of winning on the road against the Great West Conference's preseason No. 1, Utah Valley (7-10). The 57-52 victory gave the Highlanders their first defeat of the Wolverines in seven tries in Orem while snapping Utah Valley's 15-game conference home winning streak.

It certainly wasn't an easy win, as NJIT trailed, 50-45, inside of four minutes remaining in the contest. However, the Highlanders went on a 10-0 run in a span of 2:37 to pull ahead for good. Starting with a three-pointer by Woods with 3:58 left, NJIT outscored Utah Valley, 12-2, for the remainder of the game to snap its three-game losing streak and an eight-game road skid dating back last season.

Play under the basket was huge key in Orem, as NJIT out-rebounded Utah Valley, 50-33, and gathered a season-high 20 offensive boards – the highest total for the program since recording 20 in the 2010-11 season opener at Manhattan on Nov. 12, 2010. The Highlanders now rank 10^th in the nation with an average of 42.1 rebounds per game.

And although junior C Ben Aird recorded a triple-double (26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks), the Highlanders outscored the Wolverines in the paint, 30-20.

Senior G PJ Miller led the Highlanders in scoring (14 points) while sophomore F Daquan Holiday grabbed a game-high and career-high 14 rebounds -- the most by a Highlander since Isaish Wilkerson notched 15 at Houston Baptist on Feb. 18, 2012. Holiday fell just two shy of the Nesho Milosevic's D-I record of 16 at Maine on Dec. 1, 2007.

But Head Coach Jim Engles pointed to his team's play on defense as the most significant factor in the winning effort, as NJIT held a hot-shooting Utah Valley squad to a season-low 30.4 percent (17-56) for the game and just 18.2 percent (4-22) from deep. Coming into the contest, the Wolverines were leading the GWC in field-goal marksmanship at 45.6 percent.

The Highlanders now rank 13^th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (.370).

Flores continues to pace the GWC at 15.9 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 2.7 assists per contests. However, as opposing defenses have continued to suffocate the three-time GWC Second-Team selection, Flores has only averaged 13.3 ppg on .321 (34-106) shooting over the past seven affairs.

Woods is second among Highlanders in both scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.1 rpg). The conference's third leading scorer tops the GWC in three-pointers made per game (2.7) and ranks second in three-point marksmanship (.394). He has also connected on 37 of 40 free-throw attempts to pace the GWC at .925 from the line.

Meanwhile, Miller leads the GWC in assists at 4.3 apg and ranks second in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.5). The native of Fort Washington, Md., has scored in double-digits the last four games (12.8 ppg) for the first time in his four-year career – including a career-high 14 points twice (also against St. Francis Brooklyn, Dec. 30).

With the significant injuries in the frontcourt to both freshman F Terrence Smith (left foot) and junior F Quentin Bastian (left ankle), two sophomore forwards have been able to successfully shoulder the load.

Holiday has averaged 6.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 1.0 spg over his last seven games. F Odera Nweke is averaging 7.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg over his last five games – including a career-high 11 points and a career-high tying seven rebounds at Utah Valley.

Freshman G Ky Howard has recorded exactly eight rebounds in three of his last four games and is averaging 7.6 ppg and 6.2 rpg over his last five affairs.

According to the up-to-date 2013 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings, NJIT has an RPI of 273 while Chicago State is at 316.


COUGARTOWN

Chicago State arrives in Newark for its conference opener having dropped five of its last six contests. However, the Cougars lone win in the span was an impressive 58-53 road victory at Toledo (4-7) on Dec. 31.

Despite returning last year's leading scorer (13.6 ppg) and 2011-12 GWC Honorable Mention selection in senior F Jeremy Robinson, this is a much different looking squad than what NJIT saw a season ago.

Head Coach Tracy Dildy welcomed in eight new players to his program this year – seven of which are junior transfers. In fact, Chicago State is receiving more than 63 percent of its offense (39.4 ppg) from first-year players.

One of the newcomers is junior F Matt Ross, a 6-9 transfer from Sauk Valley (IL) C.C., who is leading the team in scoring (9.4 spg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg).

Although Chicago State doesn't feature anyone averaging double-digits in points, the Cougars have displayed a balanced attack with five players averaging at least 8.6 ppg.

Robinson, a preseason GWC First-Team selection this season, is second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg), but just fourth in scoring (8.9 ppg) -- trailing junior G Quinton Pippen (9.3 ppg) and junior G Jamere Dismukes (8.9 ppg). He has averaged just 2.0 ppg in his last four contests after starting the season at 11.0 ppg through his first 13 efforts.

Pippen is the nephew of former Chicago Bull Scottie Pippen while Dismukes scored a career-high 19 in the win at Toledo. Of note, the Cougars also have a reserve named Mashawn Chamberlain, who is the cousin of New Orleans Hornets forward Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft last year.

A tremendously athletic team, Chicago Stats leads the GWC with 9.3 steals per game. The Cougars also average the top total of three-pointers made per game (7.2) among conference rivals.

That being said, the team ranks last in the conference in both scoring offense (62.5 ppg) and defense (72.8 ppg) as well as in field-goal percentage (.392). Chicago State also sits second to last in rebounding margin (-4.8 rpg) and in both field-goal percentage defense (.450) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.337).

Last season, the Cougars were unable to participate in the GWC Tournament – which they hosted – due to failing to meet the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate requirements, which carries a postseason ban.

The two teams will meet up later in the Jones Convocation Center on Feb. 9.


Fans can follow all the action live on www.njithighlanders.com, which will carry a live video stream and webcast play-by-play and commentary from Matt Provence, as well as an in-game real-time stat feed. Coverage begins at 3:45 p.m. with tip-off set for 4:00 p.m.


Write-up courtesy of Matt Provence