Game Highlights (VIDEO)

Postgame Comments from Kennedy, Lynn and Ukawuba (VIDEO)

Rob Ukawuba Throws Down Hard (VIDEO)


NEWARK, NJ -- Senior Damon Lynn's three-point play with 4:08 left gave NJIT the lead for good, as the Highlanders (2-2) rallied from behind to top Colgate (1-2) by a score of 74-68 on Saturday afternoon at Fleisher Athletic Center in Newark.
 
The win snaps a two-game skid for NJIT and they have now won five of their last six contests against Patriot League foes.
 
With things tied at 59 apiece, Lynn hit a layup and converted the free throw to open up a 62-59 advantage for the Highlanders. The senior co-captain finished with a game-high 24 points and hit 15-of-16 from the charity stripe.
 
As a team, NJIT sank 25-of-29 (86.2%) from the free-throw line while Colgate hit 9-of-15 (60.0%). In fact, the Highlanders missed just one free throw in the second half.
 
Over the final four minutes of the game, the Raiders pulled within two at 68-66 with 1:17 to play, but Lynn hit a pair of free throws on the other end to extend the lead back to four.
 
Colgate led for a majority of the second half and after Jordan Robertson sank a pair of free throws to make it a 58-55 game with 5:17 remaining, the Highlanders responded with a 7-1 run to take the lead which was capped by Lynn's three-point play.
 
Along with the 24 points from Lynn, seniors Rob Ukawuba (15 points) and Tim Coleman (14 points) also finished in double figures for head coach Brian Kennedy's squad. Ukawuba hit 7-of-10 from the field and freshman Anthony Tarke continued his strong play off the bench with four points, six rebounds and two steals.
 
Junior Jordan Swopshire had 14 points to lead the way for the Raiders. Six different players finished with at least eight points for the visitors including 11 points from Sean O'Brien and 10 from Malcolm Regisford.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair as the game was tied for over nine minutes of the opening stanza. A late 10-6 spurt from Colgate helped them take a 34-31 lead into the locker room.
 
Both sides shot well from the field in the first half as NJIT was 12-of-22 (54.5%) and Colgate shot 13-of-26 (50.0%).
 
With the win, the Highlanders are now 2-0 at home this season and dating back to the 2014-15 season, they are now 29-8 in their last 37 games in Newark.
 
NJIT will head to Mexico for a pair of contests on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the Cancun Challenge. The Highlanders will battle Georgia State (1-2) of the Sun Belt Conference on Tuesday afternoon with opening tip set for 12:30 p.m.


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry