Game Notes (PDF)


HIGHLIGHTS:
•   NJIT, 6-1 in the conference, has clinched the Great West regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the GWC Tournament.
•   NJIT has set a Division-I single-season record for wins in a season at 16 (previously 15).
•   At 16-11, NJIT is five games above .500 for the first time in the program's D-I era and for the first time since ending a D-II season at 18-11 in 2002-03. Prior to this year, they only been two games above .500 once (after the first two games of the era in the 2006-07).
•   NJIT is on its longest winning streak of the season at five games. The only longer win streak in NJIT's D-I history was a program-record six-gamer, 2/1/11-2/19/11.
•   Since Jan. 8, 2011, NJIT has an overall record of 44-33 (.571).
•   NJIT won the first meeting with UTPA this season, 64-51, on Jan. 26 in Newark. In fact, the Highlanders have taken five of the last six match-ups after the Broncs won the first eight meetings. UTPA leads the all-time series, 9-5.
•   NJIT leads the GWC in many key categories: scoring offense (71.2 ppg) and defense (64.1 ppg), FG percentage defense (.377; 9th in NCAA), 3PT FG percentage (.374; 42nd in NCAA), rebounding margin (+3.5) and blocked shots (5.3 bpg; 19th in NCAA)... also 10th in the nation in rebounding (40.0 rpg) and 23^rd in steals per game (8.9).


NEWARK, NJ – The blazing hot Highlanders will attempt to wrap up their regular season with a six-game winning streak when they travel to take on Texas-Pan American on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST at UTPA Fieldhouse.

NJIT (16-11, 6-1) rolls into Texas with a season-high, five-gamer and with the program's first Great West Conference regular-season title – which was clinched with a 69-58 home victory last Saturday over Houston Baptist at Fleisher Athletic Center. A win Saturday will allow the Highlanders to tie their program-best, six-game winning streak which was set Feb. 1-19 during the 2010-11 season.

Meanwhile, UTPA (15-15, 4-3) will look to cement the No. 2 seed for the GWC Tournament, which will be held March 14-16 at Chicago State. Houston Baptist (12-15, 3-4) is currently one game behind UTPA with a home contest against Chicago State on Saturday.

The Broncs will also be looking to clinch their first winning regular season since finishing 18-13 in 2007-08.

When the teams clashed in Newark earlier this season (Jan. 26), it was a battle for first place in the GWC between a pair of teams with perfect 2-0 conference records.

In that game, senior F Ryan Woods nailed a three-pointer 56 seconds into the contest to give NJIT a 3-2 lead – a lead that put the Highlanders ahead for good. The Highlanders built a 36-20 lead at halftime and held a double-digit lead the remainder of the way as they cruised to a 64-51 victory.

In a balanced attack for both teams, senior G PJ Miller led all scorers with 13 points while a pair of Broncs finished with 12 points (Brandon Provost, Jesus Delgado). In a game marred with 39 turnovers (NJIT, 20; UTPA, 19), the Highlanders shot 45.8 percent (22-for-48) while out-rebounding the Broncs, 38-28.

In their most recent victory, the Highlanders overcame a dreadful start to handle the Huskies, 69-58, on Senior Day in Newark. Down 26-9 just 13:40 into the game, NJIT held HBU scoreless for the final 7:20 of the first half to close on a 17-0 run and take a 26-26 tie into the break.

Tied again at 42-42 with 10:27 left in regulation, the Highlanders went on a 7-0 run to take command of the game.

The only damper on a tremendous moment for the program was the senior F Ryan Woods was not part of the postgame celebration. Woods, the team's second-leading scorer, left the contest with a shoulder injury with 14:28 remaining in the second half. He did not return to the game and is considered questionable for the rest of the season.

Senior G Chris Flores led all scorers with 21 points while contributing a team-high tying six rebounds. Miller was the other Highlander to reach double digits, as he finished with a career-high 17 points. NJIT held HBU to just 34.5 percent shooting and forced 17 Huskies turnovers.

Flores leads the GWC in scoring at 17.4 ppg, which ranks 67th in the nation among 1827 qualifiers. The preseason GWC Player of the Year selection also leads the conference in steals at 2.3 spg, which ranks 20th in the nation. A native of Dorchester, Mass., Flores finished with only 10 points in the first meeting. However, he was able to grab a game-high seven rebounds while contribution a pair of assists and steals.

Woods, a preseason All-GWC Second-Team selection, is fifth in the league in scoring at 14.5 ppg. The Staten Island native tops the GWC in three-pointers made per game (3.0), which ranks 13th in the nation, and is second in three-point marksmanship (.418), placing 30th nationally. He has already set NJIT's D-I single-season record for 3PT made (82) passing Chris Flores (62; 2011-12).

Miller, who ranks third in the conference in both assist (3.4 apg) and steals (1.8 spg), 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 10 of his last 15 games – including the career-high of 17 his last time out. Miller is averaging 12.5 ppg in his last nine games (since Jan. 21) – a figure that has increased to 15.0 ppg in his last three affairs.

Talented freshman G Ky Howard, who is the GWC's leading freshman scorer (7.2 ppg), is averaging 8.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 4.0 apg over the past five contests.

According to the up-to-date 2013 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings, NJIT has an RPI of 246 while UTPA is at 319. The Highlanders have moved up to 153 in Basketball State's rankings and 224 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI).


A BRONCS TALE:

The Broncs have won back-to-back games and nine of their last 14 affairs. In fact, since starting 2-7, they've gone 13-8 since Dec. 13. UTPA is the only other GWC team that can finish with an above .500 record.

However, this with be just their second contest in a span of 14 games.

Their most recent victory came at home on Sunday, as the Broncs defeated New Orleans, 71-57 – splitting the home-and-home series with the Privateers.

UTPA avenged a “beyond heart-wrenching” overtime loss from Feb. 6 with a much less stressful victory the second time around.

Down 20-18 with 3:44 remaining in the first half, the Broncs went on an 18-4 run over the next 7:07 combined to coast back to .500. In fact, after shooting just 27.3 percent in the first half, UTPA blazed to the tune of 60.9 percent shooting in the second half.

Senior G Brandon Provost notched a double-double with a game-high 20 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Senior G Jesus Delgado (14 points) and senior G Aaron Urbanis (11 points) also finished with double figures in scoring.

Provost, a preseason All-GWC First-Team selection, leads the team and ranks third in the league in scoring at 14.6 ppg. A terrific shooter, the 6-3 guard leads the GWC in three-point accuracy at .424 – a figure that ranks 27^th in the nation – and trails only Woods and Flores on the GWC leaderboard in three-pointers made per game (2.5).

Urbanus, a preseason Second-Teamer, is second on the team at 10.4 ppg and ranks second in the GWC at 3.7 apg.

Delgado also averages double digits in scoring, as he lists third on the Broncs at 10.0 ppg – 11.3 ppg in conference play.

This could be the last all-time matchu-up between the two programs, as UTPA will be joining the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) for the 2013-14 season.


Fans can follow all the action live on www.njithighlanders.com, which will carry a live audio stream with play-by-play and commentary from Matt Provence. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. CST with tip-off set for 7 p.m.CST.


Write-up courtesy of Matt Provence