NJIT Game Notes (PDF)

Game Preview with Brian Kennedy (VIDEO)


West Lafayette, IN -- The Highlanders (3-3) will battle No. 17/19 Purdue (4-1) on Saturday afternoon at Mackey Arena. Opening tip in West Lafayette is slated for 3:30 p.m.
 
NJIT is coming off a 71-67 win over Idaho State in the consolation game of the Mayan Division at the Cancun Challenge on Wednesday while the Boilermakers topped Auburn 96-71 in the championship game of the Riviera Division.
 
The game will be shown live on ESPN3 (all remaining NJIT home basketball games can be seen on ESPN3).
 
A simple way to find ESPN3 is on NJIT's official athletics website, www.njithighlanders.com. Near the middle of the home page NJIT TV section, click Upcoming Events for a list of scheduled NJIT contests. After finding the event, click the camera icon to the right of the event listing. That brings you to an ESPN3 portal where you can access the desired program.
 
Matt Provence, the voice of the Highlanders, is on play-by-play with the pregame show beginning at 3:15 p.m. The broadcast can be accessed for free at www.njithighlanders.com or by clicking here.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
 
Saturday marks the first ever meeting between the Highlanders and the Boilermakers. This is also the third straight season that NJIT will face a nationally ranked foe.
 
The Highlanders are 1-1 all-time against the Big Ten (1-7 all-time against current members) with the lone win coming in the 72-70 upset victory at No. 17/16 Michigan on Dec. 6, 2014.
 
BOILER BALL
 
In the 96-71 win over Auburn, Purdue had six players finish in double figures led by 21 points from freshman guard Carsen Edwards. Head coach Matt Painter's squad led 50-48 with 15 minutes to play before finishing the game on a 46-23 run.
 
The Boilermakers feature a balanced offensive attack this season as five players currently average more than 10.0 ppg: sophomore forward Caleb Swanigan (18.2 ppg), junior center Isaac Haas (18.2 ppg), junior guard Dakota Mathias (12.4 ppg), junior forward Vincent Edwards (12.2 ppg) and Edwards (10.2 ppg).
 
Swanigan also ranks 10^th nationally in rebounding with 11.8 rpg. Last season, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native became the first Purdue player since 1990-91 to lead the Big Ten in rebounding (8.3 rpg).
 
In five games this season, the Boilermakers are averaging 86.0 ppg and have allowed just 67.0 ppg per game. The team has also shot 51.9% from the field and 44.2% from beyond the arc.
 
Purdue's lone loss to date was a 79-76 defeat at the hands of defending national champion Villanova.
 
Painter is in his 12^th season at the helm of the Boilermakers and has led the program to eight NCAA Tournament appearances in his tenure, including back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2009 and 2010. In his 11 plus seasons, the former Purdue point guard has compiled a 242-135 record (.642). The 2010 team captured the program's first Big Ten regular season title since 1996.
 
Prior to returning to his alma mater, Painter spent five seasons as an assistant and one as a head coach at Southern Illinois. During his tenure at SIU, he was a part of three NCAA Tournament teams, including a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2002.
 
As a point guard at Purdue under Hall of Fame head coach Gene Keady, Painter played on three NCAA Tournament teams and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention as a senior.
 
Senior guard Spike Albrecht-who transferred from Michigan-was a member of the 2013 Wolverines' national runner-up team and scored 17 points in the title game loss to Louisville.
 
Sophomore forward Grady Eifert's brother, Tyler, played football at Notre Dame and is currently a tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals.
 
Swanigan's guardian, Roosevelt Barnes, played football and basketball at Purdue and was a member of the 1980 Final Four team.
 
NJIT OUTLOOK
 
Senior forward Tim Coleman's fadeaway jumper from 18 feet out in the final minute lifted the Highlanders to the 71-67 win over Idaho State last time out.
 
Coleman finished with 21 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Highlanders while fellow seniors Damon Lynn chipped in with 24 points and Rob Ukawuba added 12 on 5-of-8 shooting.
 
The 11 rebounds from Coleman helped NJIT outrebound the Bengals by a 34-23 count.
 
This season, NJIT is averaging 39.3 rpg and has outrebounded opponents by an average of 5.8 boards per game.
 
The dynamic duo of Coleman and Lynn scored the final 12 points for the Highlanders down the stretch on Wednesday.
 
Lynn was named to the Mayan Division All-Tournament team at the Cancun Challenge after averaging 19.5 ppg in the two-game tournament. The Hillside, N.J., native ranks as the nation's active leader in career-three pointers made (374), second in points (1,855), sixth in ppg (18.0) and 11^th in steals (163).
 
This season, Lynn leads the Atlantic Sun in PPG (22.5) and steals per game (2.3). 


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry