NJIT GAME HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)

POSTGAME COMMENTS FROM KENNEDY, COOKS TARKE (VIDEO)

THE RAFF REPORT: POSTGAME ANALYSIS (VIDEO)


NEWARK, NJ – In a game that featured 15 ties and seven lead changes, freshman guard Shawndale Jones' three-pointer with 1:26 left gave NJIT the lead for good and the Highlanders (6-6) held on for a 71-68 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson (3-7) on Saturday afternoon at the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) in Newark.
 
In the final 30 seconds, FDU's Darian Anderson misfired on a jumper that would have given the visitors the lead. Zach Cooks grabbed the rebound for NJIT, sank a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game and came up with his first career block on Jahlil Jenkins' three-point attempt to preserve the win.
 
The win snaps a three-game skid for the Highlanders and head coach Brian Kennedy's squad has now won six of their first eight at the WEC.
 
NJIT is also off to a 6-6 start through 12 games for the third time in program history.
 
The Highlanders are now 5-0 all-time against their in-state rivals from Teaneck and 4-0 in Division I contests against the Knights.
 
A layup from FDU's Darnell Edge gave the Knights their biggest lead of the game at 65-61 with 3:44 to play before NJIT answered with a 5-1 spurt capped by a Jones layup that tied things at 66 apiece with 2:41 remaining.
 
Anderson's layup at the 1:50 mark made it a 68-66 game in favor of Fairleigh Dickinson and set the stage for Jones' clutch three.
 
Neither team led by more than five at any point in the game.
 
Sophomore forward Anthony Tarke and junior forward Abdul Lewis paced the Highlanders with 17 points apiece, while junior guard Diandre Wilson added 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and Cooks registered 12 points, three rebounds and three steals.
 
The 12 points for Cooks marked his second-highest total of the season and the Lawrenceville, Ga., native is also the team's leader in steals with 20 thefts on the year.
 
Tarke has now led or tied for the team lead in scoring in each of his last six games and is averaging 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game during that stretch.
 
NJIT converted 14-of-19 (73.7%) from the charity stripe in the game including 6-of-8 in the second half.
 
Anderson led all scorers with 18 points for Fairleigh Dickinson and was joined in double figures by Edge (14 points), Mike Holloway Jr. (13 points) and Jenkins (10 points).
 
The Highlanders shot 44.8% (26-of-58) from the field and 26.3% (5-of-19) from beyond the arc, while the Knights checked in at 48.3% (28-of-58) from the floor and 27.8% (5-of-18) from three.
 
Cooks' layup at the 7:27 mark of the second half opened up a 56-52 advantage for NJIT before Edge hit a jumper on the other end to kickstart a 13-5 run over the next 3:43 that gave FDU the afore-mentioned 65-61 lead.
 
The Highlanders came storming out of the gate in this one as they scored eight of the first 11 points and grabbed an 8-3 edge with 16:03 left in the opening stanza.
 
In a game that featured numerous runs on both sides, FDU responded and a Malik Miller free throw tied things at 15 apiece near the halfway point of the first half.
 
The two teams traded buckets for the remainder of the opening half and Cooks' layup with 0:04 left gave NJIT a 32-29 lead heading into the locker room.
 
NJIT outrebounded FDU by a 40-29 margin, led by a career-high eight rebounds from Wilson. Holloway Jr. paced the Knights with eight boards of his own.
 
The Highlanders will be back in action on Friday afternoon when Division III foe Bryn Athyn (6-3) comes to the WEC for a 2 p.m. tip. The game can be seen on ESPN3.


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry