NJIT Game Highlights (VIDEO)


KENNESAW, GA – Tyler Hooker's three-pointer with 2:47 left gave Kennesaw State (9-13, 3-3 ASUN) the lead for good in a 71-65 win over NJIT (9-13, 1-5 ASUN) on Wednesday night at the KSU Convocation Center.
 
After Tim Coleman converted a free throw to finish a three-point play and give the Highlanders a 63-60 lead with 4:22 to play, the Owls responded with a 9-0 run to take command of the game.
 
Hooker scored seven of the nine points during the spurt for head coach Al Skinner's squad.
 
NJIT led for most of the night until Kennesaw State's Kendrick Ray sank a three to give the Owls their first lead at 59-58 with 5:54 remaining.
 
A brief 5-0 spurt gave the lead back to the visitors before the afore-mentioned 9-0 run from the Owls.
 
Senior guard Rob Ukawuba tied his career-high with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting to pace the Highlanders while Coleman added 19 and sophomore center Abdul Lewis chipped in with eight points and 16 rebounds.
 
Ukawuba previously scored 20 on Nov. 23, 2015 at Providence.
 
The senior guard also sank all six of his attempts from the free-throw line and the Highlanders sank 15-of-16 (93.8%) on the night.
 
The 16 rebounds from Lewis marked his second-highest total of the season.

NJIT played the game without senior Damon Lynn, who missed the first game of his four-year career due to injury. The team's leading scorer suffered a ruptured achillies five minutes into the Highlanders' prior contest on Jan. 21 at FGCU. He entered that affair as the nation's leading active Division-I scorer and remains the active leader in career three-pointers made. 
 
Ray led five Owls in double figures with 18 points while Hooker and junior guard Nick Masterson added 16 apiece. Aubrey Williams notched 12 points and seven rebounds for the hosts.
 
As a team, NJIT hit 24-of-63 (38.1%) from the floor while Kennesaw State sank 24-of-53 (45.3%).
 
The difference in the game may have come from behind the arc as the Owls-the top shooting three-point team in the ASUN-hit 10-of-21 (47.6%) from downtown and NJIT was 2-of-18 (11.1%).
 
In the first half, the Highlanders jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead and led by as many as 11 in the opening stanza before taking a 36-27 advantage into the locker room.
 
NJIT outrebounded Kennesaw State by a 36-33 count, led by the 16 rebounds from Lewis. Zach Cameron nabbed 10 boards to pace the Owls.
 
In fact, the Highlanders have outrebounded their opponent in each of their conference games thus far.
 
NJIT returns home this weekend and will try to snap a three-game skid when battle the Lipscomb Bison (12-11, 4-2 ASUN) on Saturday afternoon at Fleisher Athletic Center in Newark. Opening tip is set for 4 p.m. 


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry