GAME HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)

DIANDRE WILSON POSTGAME COMMENTS (VIDEO)

COACH KENNEDY POSTGAME COMMENTS (VIDEO)

THE RAFF REPORT: POSTGAME ANALYSIS (VIDEO)


NEWARK, NJ – NJIT (1-1) scored the first 13 points of the game and 20 of the first 22 en route to a 96-80 win over the Lafayette Leopards (0-2) on Tuesday night at the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) in Newark.
 
The 96 points is the most scored by the Highlanders against a Division I opponent since a 96-84 win over Houston Baptist on Jan. 15, 2011.
 
Junior guard Reilly Walsh hit a three in the first 10 seconds of the game to get the scoring started for NJIT and the hosts hit four three in the first four minutes of the game capped by a David Kachelries triple to make it a 20-2 game in favor of the Highlanders with 16:11 to play in the opening stanza.
 
The triple for Kachelries marked the first points of his collegiate career.
 
Lafayette responded with an 18-9 run capped by a pair of free throws by Paulius Zalys to bring themselves within nine at the 9:18 mark of the first half.
 
Sophomore forward Anthony Tarke quickly responded with a three on the other end to kickstart a 22-10 run over the final nine minutes of the first half as the Highlanders took a 51-30 lead into the locker room.
 
NJIT hit 7-of-15 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes and 13-of-26 in the game as senior guard Chris Jenkins and junior guard Diandre Wilson each hit three treys apiece for head coach Brian Kennedy's squad.
 
As a whole, NJIT hit 38-of-70 (54.3%) from the floor.
 
Wilson paced the Highlanders with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting and was joined by three others in double figures: sophomore guard Shyquan Gibbs (14 points), Tarke (12 points) and junior forward Abdul Lewis (10 points). Jenkins and Kachelries each added nine off the bench.
 
Lewis also brought down 15 rebounds to notch his second consecutive double-double and the seventh of his NJIT career.
 
Freshman guard Alex Petrie poured in a career-high 19 points for the Leopards on 6-of-9 shooting. Senior forward Matt Klinewski (15 points) and freshman guard E.J. Stephens (13 points) also finished in double figures for head coach Fran O'Hanlon's club.
 
Gibbs buried a three in the opening minute of the second half as the Highlanders started the final stanza on a 16-7 run and stretched the lead to as many as 30 follwing a Kachelries layup with 16:01 to play.
 
The visitors would not get closer than 15 the rest of the way as NJIT picked up their first win at the WEC.
 
NJIT outrebounded Lafayette by a 33-30 margin, led by the 15 rebounds from Lewis. Stephens and freshman forward Dylan Hastings had five rebounds apiece to pace the Leopads.
 
The Highlanders return to action on Saturday afternoon with a 4 p.m. tilt against local rival and No. 22 Seton Hall. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 2.

Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry