NJIT GAME NOTES (PDF)

PREVIEW WITH COACH KENNEDY (VIDEO)


HAMILTON, NY – The NJIT Highlanders (5-5) look to snap a two-game losing streak on Tuesday night when they battle the Colgate Raiders (3-6) of the Patriot League. Opening tip from Cotterell Court in Hamilton is slated for 7 p.m.
 
NJIT dropped a 74-70 heartbreaker to Iona on Saturday, while Colgate fell 72-58 at the hands of Syracuse.
 
This game marks just the second contest outside of New Jersey state lines for the Highlanders thus far in 2017-18.
 
With a win, the Highlanders would notch their first road win of the season and a 11-game road losing streak that dates back to last season. NJIT's last road win came in a 64-61 victory at Stony Brook on Dec. 28, 2016.
 
The game can be seen on Patriot League Network and a link can be found by clicking here.
 

All-Time Series
 
The Highlanders lead the all-time series by a 2-1 count after picking up a 74-68 win over the Raiders on Nov. 19, 2016 at Fleisher Athletic Center in Newark.
 
In that contest, Damon Lynn converted a three-point play with 4:08 to go to break a 59-all tie and give NJIT the lead for good.
 
Colgate cut the lead to two at 68-66 with 1:17 remaining, but Lynn sank a pair of free throws on the other end to stretch the lead back to four.
 
Lynn led all scorers with a game-high 24 points (15-16 FTs) and was joined in double figures by Rob Ukawuba (15 points) and Tim Coleman (14 points).
 
Senior forward Jordan Swopshire had 14 points to lead the way for the Raiders. Six different players finished with at least eight points for the visitors including 11 points from senior guard Sean O'Brien and 10 from junior forward/center Malcolm Regisford.
 
This marks the first meeting in Hamilton since a 77-58 NJIT victory on Feb. 6, 2013.
 
NJIT is 12-23 all-time against Patriot League foes, but has won six of their last seven against the conference after a 96-80 win over Lafayette on Nov. 14.
 
Bucknell is the only member of the conference that the Highlanders have never played.

 
Opening The 'Gate
 
Colgate has dropped four in a row after a 3-2 start to the season.
 
In the 72-58 loss at Syracuse on Saturday, freshman guard Jack Ferguson buried six three-pointers en route to a career-high 20 points, while Swopshire added 13 and sophomore forward Will Rayman chipped in with 12.
 
The Raiders trailed by single digits at 61-54 with 5:45 to play before Syracuse broke the game open with an 8-0 run over the next 3:10.
 
Colgate hit 14 three-pointers on the afternoon and is shooting 39.7% from beyond the arc this season, which ranks second in the Patriot League.
 
Rayman is shooting a league-best 53.8% (28-of-52) from beyond the arc and also leads the Raiders in scoring at 16.1 points per game. The New York City native is also the team's top rebounder at 7.1 rpg.
 
Swopshire (12.8 ppg), freshman guard Jordan Burns (12.0 ppg) and O'Brien (10.3 ppg) are also averaging double figures in points for Colgate.
 
Colgate went 10-22 (8-10 PL) a year ago and was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
 
Head coach Matt Langel is in his sixth season as head coach of the Raiders after spending seven seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, Penn (2004-06), and Temple (2006-2011). During his tenure as an assistant, the Moorestown, N.J., native was a part of five NCAA Tournament teams.
 
In his playing days, Langel helped lead the Quakers to two Ivy League titles and ranks in the top 10 in school history in three-pointers made in a single game (2nd), three-pointers made in a season (8th) and career three-pointers made (4th).

 
NJIT Outlook
 
In the 74-70 heartbreaking loss to Iona on Saturday in Newark, the Gaels' Rickey McGill hit the go-ahead jumper with 0:41 left to give the visitors the lead for good.
 
NJIT had battled back from a nine-point halftime deficit to tie the game on a layup from sophomore forward Anthony Tarke at the 1:14 mark.
 
Tarke paced the Highlanders with a season-high 21 points, while sophomore point guard Shyquan Gibbs and junior guard Diandre Wilson added nine points apiece. Freshman guard Shawndale Jones contributed seven points of his own off the bench.
 
The nine points for Gibbs marked his most since he registered 14 on Nov 14 vs. Lafayette.
 
Tarke has now led NJIT in scoring in each of the past four games and has averaged 17.8 points per game during that stretch. The Gaithersburg, Md., native has scored in double digits in six of his last seven contests.
 
Junior forward Abdul Lewis posted 15 rebounds for head coach Brian Kennedy's squad, his fifth double-digit rebounding effort of the season. The Newark native is the ASUN's leading rebounder at 10.1 rpg.
 
The Highlanders currently lead the ASUN in scoring defense (72.1 ppg) and have held seven of their 10 opponents under 75 points.
 
On the offensive end, Tarke leads the way at 13.4 points per game and is joined in double figures by Lewis at 10.3 ppg. Wilson checks in at 9.9 points per game.


Write-Up Courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry