NJIT Game Highlights (VIDEO)

Postgame Comments from Kennedy and the Four Seniors (VIDEO)

Postgame Recap with Coach Driscoll (VIDEO)


NEWARK, NJ – Freshman guard Shyquan Gibbs hit a pair of free throws with 0:07 left and NJIT (11-19, 3-11 ASUN) came roaring back from a 16-point halftime deficit to top USC Upstate (17-14, 7-7 ASUN), 88-87 on Thursday night at Fleisher Athletic Center in Newark.
 
On Senior Night, senior guard Rob Ukawuba blocked Malik Moore's three-point attempt at the buzzer and the Highlanders held on for the 88-87 win.
 
The win marked the first in school history over USC Upstate and the Highlanders closed the campaign with an 8-4 record at Fleisher Athletic Center. With the state-of-the-art Wellness and Events Center set to open for the 2017-18 season, a 17-point, come-from-behind victory in the regular-season finale seemed like the perfect way for the men's basketball team to bid adieu to the 50-year-old facility. 
 
Junior guard Chris Jenkins gave NJIT their first lead of the second half at 84-83 when he buried a three with 2:48 to play.
 
USC Upstate took the lead back on a pair of Michael Buchanan free throws before senior forward Tim Coleman hit a jumper with 1:15 left to put the Highlanders back in front for the time being.
 
Buchanan converted a layup with 0:56 left and gave the Spartans the lead at 87-86 to set the stage for Gibb's clutch free throws.
 
As a team, NJIT sank 10-of-13 (76.9%) from the charity stripe and USC Upstate was 11-of-16 (68.8%).
 
After trailing 53-37 at the break, the Highlanders started the second half on an 18-6 run capped by a layup from senior guard Osa Izevbuwa that cut the lead to four with just under 14 minutes remaining.
 
The Spartans would stretch the lead back to nine, but a 16-7 run from NJIT capped by a Mohamed Bendary dunk tied thngs at 71 apiece with 7:53 to play.
 
Freshman forward Anthony Tarke led five Highlanders in double figures with 18 points, while Coleman added 15 and Izevbuwa-who celebrated his birthday a day early with the win-had 13. Bendary chipped in with a season-high 10 points and Gibbs contributed 10 of his own.
 
The 13 points from Izevbuwa tied his second-highest total of the season and Bendary doubled his previous season-high of five.
 
Buchanan paced USC Upstate with 27 points, while sophomore guard Mike Cunningham chipped in with 16 on 7-of-12 shooting and sophomore forward Phillip Whittington added 10 points off the bench.
 
Both teams shot well from the field as NJIT hit 33-of-71 (46.5%) and the Spartans were 34-of-62 (54.8%).
 
In the early going, sophomore center Abdul Lewis hit a tip shot to give the Highlanders an 18-12 advantage with 13:30 left in the opening stanza.
 
The two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, but the Spartans kicked off a 34-16 run to close the half with a three-pointer from Jure Span to take a 22-21 lead at the 9:53 mark of the first half.
 
NJIT outrebounded the Spartans by a 38-25 margin, led by nine rebounds from Lewis and seven from Tarke. Buchanan and Moore corralled five rebounds apiece to pace USC Upstate.
 
The Highlanders will enter the 2017 ASUN Tourney as the No. 7 seed and will battle the No. 2 seed Lipscomb Bison on Monday night in Nashville. Opening tip from Allen Arena is slated for 7 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN3. 



Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry