NJIT Game Notes (PDF)


FORT MYERS, FL -- NJIT (9-11, 1-3 ASUN) will look to bounce back on Saturday night when they battle the first place Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (14-6, 3-1 ASUN). Opening tip from Alico Arena in Fort Myers is slated for 7 p.m.
 
The Highlanders rallied in the second half, but eventually fell short in an 82-76 loss at Stetson on Thursday while FGCU suffered their first conference loss with a 62-60 setback against USC Upstate.
 
The game can be seen on ESPN3 (all remaining NJIT 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, will be on the audio call with the pregame show beginning at 6:45 p.m. The broadcast can be accessed for free at www.njithighlanders.com.
 

ALL-TIME SERIES
 
The all-time series is tied at one apiece after the two teams split a pair of meetings last season with each winning on their home court.
 
On Jan. 14, 2016 at Alico Arena, the Highlanders erased a 12-point halftime deficit and forced overtime before falling to the Eagles by an 82-78 count.
 
Senior guard Damon Lynn drained six threes en route to a game-high 22 points for NJIT while five different players finished with double figures for Florida Gulf Coast.
 
During the contest in Newark, the Highlanders used a 16-5 second half run to pull away in a 68-59 win over the Eagles.
 
Senior guard Ky Howard led the hosts with 21 points and 10 rebounds while senior forward Marc-Eddy Norelia posted 17 for FGCU.
 

FROM THE EAGLES NEST
 
The Eagles had won seven straight prior to Thursday's 62-60 loss to USC Upstate. In the loss to Upstate, Michael Buchanan's tip-in with three seconds left gave the Spartans the lead for good.
 
Junior guard Brandon Goodwin led four players in double figures for FGCU with 12 points. Sophomore guard Zach Johnson and junior forward Antravious Simmons chipped in with 11 points apiece for the Eagles.
 
As a team, FGCU leads the Atlantic Sun in field goal percentage at 51.7% and ranks second in points with 80.1 ppg.
 
Goodwin is tops on the team in scoring at 16.2 ppg and is joined in double figures by Johnson (11.9 ppg), junior guard Christian Terrell (10.7 ppg) and senior forward Demetris Morant (10.3 ppg).
 
Head coach Joe Dooley is in his fourth season at the helm of the Eagles and has posted a 79-44 record to date. Dooley has posted three straight 20-win seasons and led FGCU to the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
 
Prior to coming to Fort Myers, the West Orange, N.J., native spent 10 seasons as an assistant at Kansas and won the 2008 National Championship.
 
Florida Gulf Coast burst onto the national scene as "Dunk City" during the school's run to the 2013 Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed which included upset wins over Georgetown and San Diego State.
 
Dooley and junior forward Kevin Mickle both attended St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey.
 
Terrell was high school teammates with Duke's Grayson Allen at Providence High School in Jacksonville.
 
Sophomore guard Rayjon Tucker's cousin, Jia Perkins, played college basketball at Texas Tech and currently plays for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx.
 

NJIT OUTLOOK
 
The Highlanders rallied in the second half before eventually falling short in the 82-76 loss at Stetson on Thursday night as the Hatters took the lead for good on Angel Rivera's layup with 1:44 to play.
 
Sophomore center Abdul Lewis paced NJIT with a career-high 20 points and 19 rebounds while Lynn added 17 and senior guard Rob Ukawuba notched the first double-double of his career with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
The 19 rebounds from Lewis broke the previous program record of 17, which had been set by Daquan Holiday on Jan. 12, 2013 vs. Chicago State.
 
Senior forward Tim Coleman had 11 points and five rebounds in the game to surpass 700 rebounds in his career. The Union, N.J., native is now one of 14 active players in Division-I with at least 1,300 career points and 700 rebounds.
 
With two three-pointers on Saturday, Lynn will pass former Saint Peter's standout Keydren Clark for fourth place all time in terms of career three-pointers made in NCAA Division I history. 


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry