NJIT Game Highlights (VIDEO)


JACKSONVILLE, FL – Andris Misters' three-pointer with seven seconds left gave Jacksonville the lead for good and the Dolphins (16-12, 4-7 ASUN) picked up a 76-73 win over the Highlanders (9-18, 1-10 ASUN) on Saturday night at Swisher Gym.
 
After senior forward Tim Coleman sank a jumper to break the tie and give NJIT a 73-71 edge with 0:29 left, Misters grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed three from Darien Fernandez and hit the triple to give Jacksonville the lead.
 
On the ensuing possession, the Highlanders turned the ball over and Fernandez sank a pair of free throws to stretch the lead to three at 76-73. Junior guard Chris Jenkins missed a three at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime.
 
NJIT put together an impressive rally in the second half to make things close after trailing by as many as 11 at one point.
 
Senior guard Rob Ukawuba hit a jumper with 14:00 remaining to kickstart a 20-8 run and freshman forward Anthony Tarke capped it with a three-pointer to give the Highlanders a 63-62 advantage with 6:00 to play.
 
The two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes and Coleman hit a jumper with 1:07 left to tie things at 71 apiece.
 
Coleman hit 9-of-14 from the field to pace NJIT with a game-high 23 points, while Tarke chipped in with 19 and sophomore center Abdul Lewis added 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
Senior forward J.R. Holder led the way offensively for Jacksonville with 20 points, Misters tallied 17 and senior forward Marcel White chipped in with 11. Freshman guard Tanner Rubio added 10 points off the bench for the hosts.
 
Misters played his high school ball next door to NJIT at St. Benedict's Prep and spent two of those seasons playing under current Rhode Island head coach, Danny Hurley.
 
As a team, the Highlanders shot 58.0% (29-50) from the field and 45.0% (9-20) from beyond the arc. The Dolphins sank 23-of-47 (48.9%) from the floor and hit 14-of-27 (51.9%) three-pointers.
 
Jacksonville jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the early going before NJIT answered with a 12-3 run capped by a three-point play from Tarke to give the visitors a 19-17 edge with 11:53 left in the opening half.
 
After the two teams exchanged runs over the next several minutes, the Dolphins closed the half on a 7-2 spurt and took a 42-37 lead into the locker room.
 
NJIT outrebound Jacksonville by a 27-21 count, led by seven rebounds apiece from Lewis and Coleman. Fernandez paced the hosts with eight boards.
 
The Highlanders will return home to host first-place Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday night in Newark. Opening tip from Fleisher Athletic Center is slated for 7 p.m.


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry