GAME HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)


NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT Highlanders (3-2) used 13-0 run over an 8:40 stretch in the second half to pick up their first ever win over a CAA foe with a 65-53 win over the Drexel Dragons (2-4) on Saturday afternoon at the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) in Newark.
 
NJIT has now won three of their first four games at the brand new WEC.
 
With the win, the Highlanders sit above .500 for the first time since holding a 5-4 record on Dec. 3, 2016.
 
Head coach Brian Kennedy's squad has also won back-to-back games for the first time since closing the 2016-17 regular season with victories over Stetson and USC Upstate.
 
Following an offensive putback from Drexel's Sammy Mojica that cut the Highlander lead to a pair at 42-40, Abdul Lewis hit a layup on the other end to jumpstart the 13-0 run for the hosts. The run was capped by a Reilly Walsh bucket that matched the Highlanders' biggest lead of the day at 55-40 with 7:51 remaining.
 
Lewis and Walsh contributed four points apiece during the 13-0 spurt.
 
The Dragons would not get closer than 10 the rest of the way as Anthony Tarke hit a three at the 6:33 mark to stretch the lead back to 13.
 
NJIT entered play boasting the ASUN's best scoring defense and the defense did their part once more on Saturday as Drexel shot just 32.8% (19-58) from the field and was 3-21 (14.3%) from beyond the arc. The Dragons also hit just 12-25 (48.0%) from the charity stripe.
 
Walsh paced the Highlanders with a season-high 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and was joined in double figures by Tarke (13 points, seven rebounds) and junior guard Diandre Wilson (12 points, six rebounds). Lewis added eight points and 11 rebounds of his own.
 
Lewis has notched 10 or more rebounds in three of his five games this season.
 
The 14 points for Walsh marked the highest total for the Staten Island, NY native since he poured in a career-high 15 on Feb. 27, 2017 at Lipscomb.
 
Sophomore guard Kurk Lee had 13 points to lead Drexel and Tramaine Isabell chipped in with 11 of his own. Isabell scored all 11 of his points in the first half.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair that featured nine ties and 14 lead changes with neither team leading by more than four.
 
Sophomore guard Shyquan Gibbs hit a three with 2:47 left in the opening stanza before Lee answered with a triple of his own on the other end as the Dragons closed the first half on a 9-4 run and took a 34-31 lead into the locker room.
 
NJIT looks for their third straight win on Tuesday night when LIU-Brooklyn (2-5) comes to the WEC for a 7 p.m. tip. The game can be seen on ESPN3.


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry