Game Notes (PDF)


HIGHLIGHTS:
•   The Highlanders have defeated the Cougars in the past five meetings, including an 83-78 triple-OT thriller in Newark earlier this season on Jan. 12. They now lead the all-time series, 6-5.
•   The last Chicago State victory over NJIT was on March 6, 2010, an 81-75 home win at the Jones Convocation Center.
•   NJIT dropped its last GWC game – a 66-57 loss at Houston Baptist on Feb. 2. Prior to that, the Highlanders had won four consecutive regular-season GWC games and six of seven overall when including the 2012 GWC Tournament.
•   A win Saturday would mark the deepest into a season all-time the Highlanders would be two games above .500. In fact, they've only been two games above .500 twice in their D-I era: 2-0 in their very first season (2006-07) and 4-2 through November this season.
•   NJIT leads the GWC in many key categories: scoring offense (71.4 ppg) and defense (65.0 ppg), FG percentage defense (.379), rebounding margin (+3.6) and blocked shots (5.5 bpg).
•   The Highlanders also rank 14^th in the nation in rebounding (40.4 rpg), 17^th in FG percentage defense, 24^th in blocked shots, and 26^th in steals (8.9 spg).


CHICAGO, IL – NJIT will try and keep its share of first place in the Great West Conference in the Windy City when it plays a rematch against Chicago State on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CST at Jones Convocation Center.

The Highlanders (12-11, 3-1) are a perfect 5-0 against the Cougars (7-16, 2-2) over the past three seasons. However, if their meeting on Jan. 12 is any indication, Saturday's meeting could be an epic battle.

The last bout, which occurred in Newark, wasn't decided until triple overtime – when the Highlanders emerged with an 83-78 victory. At the time, the contest was the program's longest since overtime periods started to be noted in 1998-99.

Interestingly, the Highlanders would play another triple-overtime doozey just nine days later at University of New Orleans. This time, it was NJIT that lost a heart-breaker, 96-94, on Jan. 21.

In the first meeting with the Cougars, the Highlanders scored eight straight points in triple overtime – turning a 69-67 deficit into a 75-69 lead from 4:06 to 2:18. Six of the points came on two three-pointers from senior F Ryan Woods, who tied the program record with six treys en route to a then career-high 23 points. Woods set a new personal best with 26 points on Wednesday at Colgate.

Aside from an early 3-3 tie, the Highlanders led the entirety of regulation until junior F Quinton Pippen connected from downtown to give Chicago State its first lead of the day at 52-51 with 2:40 remaining. In fact, junior F Matt Ross had a chance to end the game in regulation. But his missed jumper at the buzzer sent the game into extra time.

Senior G Chris Flores tallied 12 points in the extra three periods and again finished the game with a D-I program record 28 points. But he wasn't the only one to etch his name in the record books during this GWC classic.

Sophomore F Daquan Holiday set the program record with 17 rebounds while contributing seven blocks (NJIT's second largest single-game total). Additionally, senior G PJ Miller set a program best with nine assists while also chipping in a then career-high 14 points.

Ross posted a double-double and finished with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. Pippen nailed four treys and wound up with 18 points in the losing effort.

Nearly one month later, the teams will meet again and each will enter the contest each with momentum on its side.

Chicago State has gone 3-2 since their return from Newark, including wins in each of its prior two home conference games.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders have won three of their last four games – including the largest road win in their D-I era in their prior match, a 77-58 romp of Colgate on Feb. 6.

In that contest, Woods scored a career-high 26 points on 10-for-12 shooting (6-for-7 from beyond the arc) to pace an attack that nailed 30 field goals and connected at 52.6 percent – both D-I season highs for the Highlanders.

NJIT's only loss during this recent stretch was a 66-57 road defeat at Houston Baptist on Feb. 2.

Chris Flores, who earned a share of the GWC Player of the Week on Monday, continues to lead the league in scoring at 17.4 ppg. In fact, he's averaging 20.3 ppg over his past eight games -- which included a 32-point performance (on 11-for-11 shooting) against Fisher College on Jan. 30.

The preseason GWC Player of the Year selection also paces the conference in steals (2.3 spg), which ranks 20^th in the nation, while listing sixth in the GWC in assists (2.8 apg).

Senior F Ryan Woods, a preseason All-GWC Second-Team selection, is third in the league in scoring at 14.8 ppg. The Staten Island native tops the GWC in three-pointers made per game (3.1), which ranks 15^th in the nation, and is second in three-point marksmanship (.420), placing 26th nationally.

Senior PJ 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 11 games – including a career-high 15 at New Orleans on Jan. 21.

Talented freshman F Terrence Smith will be sidelined for his 14^th consecutive game on Saturday. However, sophomore F Daquan Holiday has seized the opportunity, averaging 7.0 ppg and 6.8 rpg in 12 games since joining the starting lineup on Dec. 28.

Through 23 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 four of what is a minimum of six 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 252 while Chicago State is at 294. The Highlanders have moved up to 228 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI).


COUGARTOWN
 
Chicago State is beginning to gel after starting the season with one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. Winners of three of their last five contests, the Cougars are in third place in the GWC – but with a chance to earn a share of the conference lead with a win and a UTPA loss at Utah Valley.
 
In fact, the Cougars' seven victories are the most since CSU won nine games during the 2009-10 campaign.
 
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 last season.
 
Head Coach Tracy Dildy welcomed in eight new players to his program this year – seven of which are junior transfers.
 
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 (10.3 spg) and rebounding (6.6 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 8.9 ppg. They are the only team in the GWC that has at least five players averaging more than 8.0 ppg.
 
Robinson, a preseason GWC First-Team selection this season, is second on the team in rebounding (5.7 rpg), but just fourth in scoring (8.9 ppg) -- trailing junior G Quinton Pippen (9.9 ppg) and sophomore F Clarke Rosenberg (8.9 ppg). Robinson scored just five points in Newark on 1-for-8 shooting.
 
Junior G Jamere Dismukes also averages 8.9 ppg, but the transfer's main contribution has been distributing the rock. The 6-1 point guard averages 3.1 apg – but is at 5.0 over his last six games, which included seven assists against NJIT.
 
Pippen is the nephew of former Chicago Bull Scottie Pippen and both attended Hamburg High School in Hamburg, Ark. 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 State leads the GWC with 10.0 steals per game – a total that ranks eighth in the nation. The Cougars also average the top total of three-pointers made per game (7.5) among conference rivals, which is 56^th in the nation.
 
That being said, the team ranks fourth in the conference in scoring offense (64.7 ppg) and last in both field-goal percentage (.396) and in scoring defense (70.3 ppg).
 
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.
 
 
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. Coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. CST.


Write-up courtesy of Matt Provence