NJIT Men's Basketball Gameday Information NEWARK, NJ—Fresh from an 86-67 win vs. Hampton on Monday night, NJIT men's basketball will try to do it again barely 24 hours later when the Highlanders host Delaware State in a game scheduled for 7:30 pm Tuesday in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
Like Hampton, Delaware State plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Hornets are 10-11 overall, with close losses in their last two games.
Delaware State last played over the weekend on Saturday when they lost at South Carolina State, 78-74. The Hornet men dropped the game before by a single point, 55-54, at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference-leading North Carolina Central. Prior to the two close losses, DSU had won four in a row and five of six.
In addition to its 4-2 record so far in the MEAC, Delaware State has posted some noteworthy non-conference wins, edging Penn, 77-75, in overtime in the season opener and later beating in-state rival Delaware; Wake Forest of the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference; and, NEC preseason favorite St. Francis Brooklyn (72-64; NJIT beat St. Francis 68-66).
Keith Walker is in his first full season as head coach of the Hornets, having taken over as interim coach for DSU in the last 11 games of 2013-14. He went 5-6 last season after taking over a team that had been 4-15 prior to his appointment.
In his first year as an assistant coach at Delaware State is
Alex Stone, who played in 27 games as a sophomore for NJIT's first Division I team back in 2006-07. The Somerset, NJ, product transferred to Xavier (LA), where he graduated in 2009.
In the first-ever men's basketball game between NJIT and Delaware State last January 27 in Dover, Delaware, the Highlanders staged a comeback victory, topping the Hornets in overtime, 65-59. NJIT trailed by seven with 1:31 remaining in regulation and managed to force overtime, where the Highlanders secured the win.
Delaware State team stats and leaders:Scoring (team 68.1 ppg, -2.6 ppg):
Amere May (6-3, Sr; 18.1 ppg; 39 3-pt FGs);
Kendall Gray (6-10, Sr; 12.1 ppg; 57 pct FGs);
Tyshaun Bell (6-7, Sr., 9.6 ppg)
Rebounding (team 38.6 rpg, +0.6 rpg):
Gray (13 rpg; leads Division I)
Assists: Kendal Williams (6-0, Sr; 62);
Charles Burley (5-10, Sr,; 58)
Blocks: Gray (58)
Steals: DeAndre Haywood (6-2, So; 22)
Senior big man
Kendall Gray is a hometown product for DSU (Polytech High in Dover, DE) who has improved throughout his college career and is leading the nation in rebounding …
Tyshaun Bell, another senior starter, also hails from Dover, the location of Delaware State …
Amere May, the top scorer (18.1 ppg) played two seasons with the Hornets before transferring to Division II St. Augustine's, where he blossomed to average 19.3 ppg in 2013-14 after netting about 6 per game in two years at DSU.
NJIT has won eight of its last nine games, matching the best nine-game stretch since the program began Division I competition (2006-07).
NJIT has four players averaging double-figure scoring, with sophomore
Damon Lynn leading the way at 16.9 points per game. He has made 90 3-pointers on the season and has totaled 65 points in the last three games. He also leads the team in assists (81) and steals (39).
Junior
Winfield Willis is scoring 11.3 ppg and has made 38 threes, while shooting 80 percent the foul line, where he is 56-of-70.
Tim Coleman, who has reached double-figure scoring in 10 of the last 11 games, including 20 points at South Alabama two games ago, averages 10.4 points and has made 55 percent of his shots from the field, including 23-for-51 from 3-point distance. He also gets 4.2 rpg and has 26 blocked shots.
The fourth double-figure scorer, junior
Ky Howard (11.8 ppg), is unavailable due to injury.
Senior
Daquan Holiday matched his career scoring high with 13 points vs. Hampton and notched his coming off his second career double-double (10 points/10 rebounds) in the win at South Alabama and he has a team-leading 36 blocked shots.
Matt Provence will provide play-by-play on the here on
www.njjthighlanders.com. Programming is scheduled to begin around 15 minutes before tipoff, with coverage picking up after coverage of the preceding women's game.
Tuesday night's game is the second half of a men's/women's basketball doubleheader against Delaware State. The women's game will play tip at 5:30 pm and the men's game is slated for a 7:30 start. The doubleheader is
Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night sponsored by the Departments of Athletics and Human Resources, with free tickets faculty and staff and reduced tickets for family and friends.
