GAME HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)
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NEWARK, NJ – In a low-scoring defensive affair, the NJIT Highlanders (0-1) fell to the Wagner Seahawks (1-0) by a 60-49 score in the season opener and the opening game at the state-of-art Wellness and Events Center on Saturday night in Newark.
Neither team led by more than six until the final minute in a game in which both teams struggled to shoot from the field as NJIT shot 31.9% (15-47) and Wagner shot at a 36.4% clip (20-55).
The Seahawks'
Tyler Plummer hit a layup with 7:08 left to kickstart a 16-6 run for the visitors over the remainder of the contest. Wagner hit 14-22 (63.6%) from the charity stripe on the night, but sank seven of their final 10 attempts to ice the victory.
Plummer's layup came on the heels of an
Anthony Tarke bucket that had given NJIT a 43-42 advantage at the 7:28 mark.
The Highlanders trailed 50-47 with just under two minutes left before Plummer hit a three to make it a two-possession game, a lead that would hold the rest of the way.
NJIT had their chances down the stretch and kept the game close throughout, but made just 15-30 (50%) from the free-throw line on the night.
Tarke led head coach
Brian Kennedy's squad with 13 points, while junior forward
Abdul Lewis notched a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard
Shyquan Gibbs chipped in with 9 points on 3-4 shooting, including a pair of treys and backcourt mate
Reilly Walsh had two points, four rebounds and three steals along with numerous hustle plays on both ends of the court.
Lewis is the ASUN'S leading returning rebounder after averaging 8.5 boards per game a year ago. The double-double for the Newark native was the sixth of his NJIT career.
Sophomore guard
Blake Francis paced Wagner with a game-high 22 points on the strength of three three-pointers and hitting 9-11 from the free throw line. Plummer added 11 points of his own off the bench and
Nick Madray and
Elijah Davis contributed six points apiece.
The Seahawks held the lead for the first six plus minutes of the second half before Tarke buried a jumper with 13:18 left to start a 6-0 spurt that gave NJIT a 41-38 lead at the 10:46 mark.
Gibbs christened the WEC in style as he converted a four-point play on the game's first possession.
The two sides traded the lead for the majority of the opening stanza before a three from Francis in the final minute gave Wagner a 29-28 lead heading into the locker room.
The Seahawks outrebounded the Highlanders by a 40-36 margin, led by 10 rebounds from Davis. Lewis' 12 boards paced the hosts.
NJIT will look for its first win of the young season on Tuesday night when the Lafayette Leopards (0-1) come to the WEC for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN3. Lafayette captured an 84-83 overtime win in last season's meeting between the two teams.
Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry
#ProtectTheWec
