NJIT GAME HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)


DELAND, FL -- Stetson utilized a 28-8 run early in the second half to storm back for an 80-67 victory over NJIT on Thursday at the Edmunds Center in DeLand, Fla. Senior Devine Myles scored a team-high 20 points in guiding the Hatters (9-9, 1-1) to their first ASUN win of the season.
 
Sophomore Anthony Tarke netted a game-high 23 points to pace the Highlanders, who fell to 8-9 and 1-1 in conference play. The Gaithersburg, Md., native has now led NJIT in scoring in nine of the last 11 contests, during which time he has averaged 17.8 points per game.
 
NJIT held a 41-34 lead at the half and led by as many as eight points in the second half. Once the Highlanders went up 46-38 with 17:11 left in regulation, the home team began to swarm – transforming an eight-point deficit in to a 12-point lead over a span of 10:27.
 
The run started with a three-pointer by senior B.J. Glasford and culminated with a Myles layup to give the Hatters a then-game-high 66-54 advantage. Glasford later hit a back-breaking triple with one second left on the shot clock after the Highlanders had pulled back within six, 72-66, with 1:34 remaining. Ultimately, Stetson went went ahead for good on a trey by freshman Christian Jones that snapped a 49-49 tie with 13:20 to go.
 
After starting the game hot from the floor, the Highlanders were hurt by cold shooting in the second half. NJIT connected on just 8-of-28 (28.6%) attempts after the break. Additionally, the team was held without a field goal over a span of 3:36 from the 5:45 to the 2:09 mark of the final session – spoiling a chance for a late comeback.

In all, the Highlanders were outscored 46-26 in the second half.
 
Freshman Shanwdale Jones (11 points) and junior Diandre Wilson (10 points) were NJIT's only other double-digit scorers. Tarke was joined by junior Mohamed Bendary in grabbing a team-high six rebounds.
 
Freshman Zach Cooks scored six points, but filled the stat sheet with a game-high-tying five assists, four rebounds and a game-high-tying three steals.
 
NJIT, which was out-rebounded by a 34-28 margin, played its second-consecutive game without the ASUN's leading rebounder, senior Abdul Lewis.
 
Three other Hatters joined Myles in double figures. Glasford and junior Leo Goodman both finished with 15 points while senior Angela Rivera added 10 points to supplement a team-high five assists.
 
The Hatters finished the game shooting at 56.1-percent (32-for-57) and 47.1-percent (8-for-17) from downtown. Meanwhile, the Highlanders ended the night at 39.7-percent (23-for-58) and 41.4-percent (12-for-29) from beyond the arc.

Interestingly, the Hatters started five seniors while the Highlanders only senior, Chris Jenkins, did not appear in the game.
 
The Highlanders were a bit sluggish out of the gates, turning the ball over three times in the first two minutes leading to an early 7-0 Hatters' advantage.
 
But NJIT received key contributions from the second unit. In addition to the performances of Cooks and Jones, junior Donovan Greer hit a pair of three-pointers to help the Highlanders sustain the slow start.
 
The Highlanders started to pull away late in the first half. Down 30-29 with 4:34 to go in the stanza, NJIT netted five-consecutive points on a triple by Tarke and layup by Jones to kick-start a 12-4 half-ending run.
 
Tarke paced all scores at the break with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Jones recorded seven points and three rebounds off the bench, again sparking the Highlanders along with his classmate Cooks – who registered five points, three rebounds and a team-high three assists after his insertion into the game.
 
Myles also led Stetson in scoring in the first period, pouring in eight points to guide a balanced attack.
 
Both teams shot well in the first half, as the Hatters connected on 16-of-30 (53.3%) field goals while the Highlanders drained 15-of-30 (50.0%) of their shots. NJIT held an edge in three-point marksmanship at 7-for-18 (38.9%) compared to 2-of-7 (28.6%) for Stetson.
 
NJIT next travels to Fort Myers to take on Florida Gulf Coast (11-8, 2-0) on Saturday night at Alico Arena. Tip-off time is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Eagles were selected as the ASUN preseason favorite in both the media and coaches poll.
 
NJIT is 1-3 all-time against FGCU. The Highlanders are also 0-2 at Alico Arena, though they rallied from a 21-point deficit to force overtime in an eventual 82-78 loss on Jan. 14, 2016.
 
Last season, the Highlanders dropped an 84-71 affair in Fort Myers. Perhaps more significantly, the team lost leading scoring Damon Lynn for the season to a torn Achillies just 4:45 into the game.
 
NJIT will remain in search of its first road win of the season. Additionally, the Highlanders will be looking to snap a 15-game, road-losing streak that stretches back into last season.