Game Notes (PDF)
HIGHLIGHTS:
• A win would put NJIT three games above .500 for the first time in the program's Division-I era and for the first time since ending a D-II season at 18-11 in 2002-03.
• NJIT is looking to tie its longest winning streak of the season of three games – a feat it's accomplished on two occasions (Nov. 21-27; Jan. 5-14).
• A win would give NJIT its first season sweep and three-game winning streak over UVU (including an 88-78 OT win in the semifinals of the 2012 GWC Tournament).
• Since 2006-07, NJIT has lost more games against UVU (11) than any other program.
• Including tournament games, NJIT is 25-20 in GWC play (since 2009-10). In fact, that record is 20-11 (.645) over the past three seasons.
• NJIT leads the GWC in many key categories: scoring offense (71.1 ppg) and defense (64.8 ppg), FG percentage defense (.379), 3PT FG percentage defense (.383), rebounding margin (+3.9) and blocked shots (5.1 bpg).
• The Highlanders also rank 11th in the nation in rebounding (40.3 rpg), 17th in FG percentage defense, 25th in steals (8.8 spg) and 29th in blocked shots.
NEWARK, NJ – NJIT will try to maintain sole possession of first place in the Great West Conference when it hosts two-time, defending regular-season champion Utah Valley 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 Houston Baptist beginning at 2 p.m.
While attempting to hold onto first, the Highlanders (13-11, 4-1) will also be seeking to record two program "firsts."
With a win, NJIT will sweep a season series against the Wolverines for the first time in the seven years the teams have held the annual home-and-home series. Earlier this season, the Highlanders defeated the Wolverines in Orem for the first time in series history.
Perhaps more significant, a victory will put NJIT three games above .500 for the first time since its D-I era started in the 2006-07 season. In fact, the program hasn't seen such a record since ending its D-II season at 18-11 in 2002-03.
Meanwhile, Utah Valley (12-13, 2-3) is attempting to register a first three-game winning streak of the season.
Hard to imagine for a program that had logged 19 and 20 wins in its past two seasons, respectively, and that had entered 2012-13 having won 21 of its last 23 regular-season conference affairs.
In their first meeting, the Highlanders came from behind for a 57-52 win in conference opener at the UCCU Center – snapping the Wolverines' 15-game conference home winning streak.
Trailing 50-45 with less than four minutes remaining, 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 senior F Ryan Woods with 3:58 left, NJIT outscored Utah Valley, 12-2, for the remainder of the game to snap a three-game losing streak and an eight-game road skid that dated back last season (they have since followed with victories at Fairleigh Dickinson, at Colgate and at Chicago State, as well).
NJIT out-rebounded Utah Valley, 50-33, and gathered a season-high 20 offensive boards – the highest total for the program since the 2010-11 season opener at Manhattan. NJIT also held Utah Valley to shooting just a season-low 30.4 percent (17-56) for the game and just 18.2 percent (4-22) from deep. These efforts were enough to overcome the lowest scoring output of the season by the Highlanders' top two leading scorers, as senior G Chris Flores (eight points) and senior F Ryan Woods (seven points) were held to 15 combined points on 5-for-25 shooting.
Senior G PJ Miller led a balanced attack with 14 points while freshman G Ky Howard chipped in with 11 and a career-high tying eight rebounds. Sophomore F Daquan Holiday finished with a then career-high 14 rebounds – two shy of breaking Nesho Milosevic's D-I record that he would eclipse in his next game against Chicago State on Jan. 12 (17 boards).
The Highlanders' effort was enough to negate a triple-double by junior C Ben Aird, who finished with a game-high and career-high tying 26 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks. He became just the second Wolverine all-time to record a triple-double.
NJIT will bring momentum into the rematch, having won back-to-back road contests and four of its last five overall. In fact, since the Highlanders stepped foot on the court in Orem on Jan. 5, they've posted a 7-3 record. A win Saturday will tie their longest winning streak of the season of three games – a feat they've accomplished on two earlier occasions (Nov. 21-27 and Jan. 5-14).
NJIT's only loss during this recent stretch was a 66-57 road defeat at Houston Baptist on Feb. 2.
In their last contest, NJIT came back from a similar situation it faced at Utah Valley – defeating Chicago State, 63-58, on Feb. 9 in the Windy City.
Again, the Highlanders trailed by five points (53-48) late in a road tilt – this time with 6:18 remaining. But following a timeout by Head Coach Jim Engles, the Highlanders responded with a 12-0 run and held the Cougars scoreless for 4:58 en route to their fourth road win of the season.
Flores scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the final 6:52 of the game. Howard finished one rebound shy of his first career double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds and sophomore F Odera Nweke was NJIT's other double-digit scorer with 10 points and six rebounds
The Highlanders have won back-to-back road games – culminating a road swing that encompassed more than 5,000 miles, two time zones and three states (Texas, New York, Illinois) all within nine days.
Flores continues to lead the GWC in scoring at 17.3 ppg – a figure ranks 69th in the nation (among 1,816 qualifiers). The preseason Player of the Year selection also paces the conference in steals (2.3 spg), which ranks tied for 17th in the nation, while listing sixth in the GWC in assists (2.8 apg).
Woods, a preseason All-GWC Second-Team selection, is fourth in the league in scoring at 14.4 ppg. The Staten Island native tops the GWC in three-pointers made per game (3.0), which ranks 14th in the nation, and is third in three-point marksmanship (.409), placing 34th nationally.
Miller, who leads the team and is third in the GWC at 3.7 assists per game, has really picked up his scoring pace. After scoring 13 points just three times in his first three seasons (83 games), the native of Fort Washington, Md., has registered at least 13 points in seven of his last 12 games.
Through 24 games, the Highlanders are sitting at their third-highest win total in their seven seasons since playing a Division-I schedule. NJIT finished with 15 wins in each of its past two seasons – a mark the Highlanders can surpass if they win three of what is a minimum of five remaining games, pending their effort in the conference tournament.
According to the up-to-date 2013 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings, NJIT has an RPI of 239 while Utah Valley is at 279. The Highlanders have moved up to 227 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI).
OREM FORUM
The Wolverines have won back-to-back games and three of their last four overall. Their most recent win came at home against NAIA Northern New Mexico College, 86-63, on Monday. However, their most significant may have been a 66-49 home victory over UTPA last Saturday, keeping the reigning regular-season champs alive in the GWC race.
Utah Valley is led by senior C Ben Aird, who is fifth in the GWC in scoring (14.4 ppg) while leading the conference in shooting (.582), rebounding (9.0 rpg) and blocked shots (2.0 bpg). The preseason First-Team selection had a triple-double against NJIT in the last meeting, adding to his resume of three other double-doubles in six career meetings with the Highlanders. The 6-9 big has averaged 15.0 ppg and 10.8 rpg all-time against NJIT.
Junior G Holton Hunsaker, son of UVU Head Coach Dick Hunsaker, is second on the team in scoring at 13.2 ppg – which ranks sixth in the GWC. The point guard also averages a team-leading 3.3 assists while shooting 37.4 percent from downtown. Hunsaker averaged 14.8 ppg in his first five career matchups with NJIT before being held to just nine points on 2-for-10 shooting on Jan. 21.
In the last game against Northern New Mexico, he became just the sixth player in UVU's program history to reach 1,000 career points.
The Wolverines have two other players averaging double figures in scoring: senior F Alonzo Hubbard (11.6) and senior F Nick Thompson (10.2). Hubbard has missed the last six games due to injury and Thompson, a senior transfer from Oklahoma, was held to just four points on 1-for-7 shooting in the season's first battle.
Thompson, who is also second on the team in rebounding (7.1), recorded the first triple-double in program history when he logged 13 points, 10 rebounds and a school-record 12 assists against Austin Peay on Dec. 28.
As a team, the Wolverines lead the GWC in field goal percentage (.460) and assists (15.2 apg).
In its last trip to Newark, Utah Valley prevailed in a wild, 99-97 victory in double overtime on Feb. 9, 2012.
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
