NJIT HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)

POSTGAME COMMENTS FROM KENNEDY, TARKE (VIDEO)

THE RAFF REPORT: POSTGAME ANALYSIS (VIDEO)

PLAY OF THE GAME: TARKE'S THUNDEROUS DUNK


NEWARK, NJ – Five players scored in double figures and the NJIT Highlanders (8-8, 1-0 ASUN) won an ASUN opener for the first time in program history with a 98-87 victory over USC Upstate (5-13, 0-1 ASUN) on Saturday afternoon at the Wellness and Events Center in Newark.
 
NJIT has now won eight of 10 at the WEC this season.
 
The 98 points are the most that the Highlanders have scored against a Division I opponent in the school's Division I era, which began with the 2006-07 season. The previous high was 96 against Lafayette on Nov. 14, 2017 and Houston Baptist on Jan. 15, 2011.
 
With the win, NJIT has won a conference opener for the first time since a 57-52 victory over Utah Valley in the team's Great West Conference opener on Jan. 5, 2013.
 
A three-pointer from Ramel Thompkins in the early going gave the Spartans a 14-7 lead with 14:34 left in the first half, but freshman guard Shawndale Jones hit a layup on the other end to spark an 18-4 run for the Highlanders over the next four plus minutes.
 
A free throw from Anthony Tarke capped the run at the 9:45 mark of the opening stanza with NJIT holding a 25-18 advantage.
 
USC Upstate did not go away as a 14-6 run later in the half capped by a pair of free throws from Thomas Booker tied the game at 39 apiece for the time being, but the Highlanders scored the final five points of the half and took a 44-39 lead into the locker room.
 
The Spartans would not get closer than five the rest of the way.
 
Tarke matched his season-high with 21 points to lead the five Highlanders in double figures, junior guard Reilly Walsh and freshman guard Zach Cooks had 15 points apiece, Jones chipped in with 13 off the bench and sophomore guard Shyquan Gibbs added 12.
 
Making his first start of the season, junior center Mohamed Bendary had eight points, six rebounds and a career-high nine assists.
 
The nine assists is the most in a single game by an NJIT player since Ky Howard dished out nine helpers in an 83-74 win at St. John's on Dec. 20, 2015.
 
The 15 points for Walsh ties his career-high after he previously scored 15 in the ASUN quarterfinals on Feb. 27, 2017 at Lipscomb.
 
Thompkins and junior guard Jure Span paced USC Upstate with 16 points apiece, while Mike Cunningham and Malik Moore chipped in with 15 and Deion Holmes contributed 11 points off the bench.
 
Both teams shot well from the field as the Highlanders shot 31-of-59 (52.5%) from the floor and 12-of-23 (52.2%) from beyond the arc. The Spartans shot at a 49.3% (33-of-67) clip from the field and 42.9% (12-of-28) from deep.
 
In the second half, a layup from Booker brought USC Upstate within 6 at 59-53 with 11:38 to play, but Walsh responded for NJIT with a layup of his own on the other end to kickstart a 16-6 run over the next five minutes that stretched the lead to as many as 16.
 
A Bendary dunk at the 6:48 mark of the second half gave the Highlanders their biggest lead of the day at 75-59.
 
NJIT is back in action on Thursday as head coach Brian Kennedy's squad will battle Stetson (8-9, 0-1 ASUN) at the Edmunds Center in DeLand, Fla. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN3.
 
The Highlanders lead the all-time series 3-2 and the two teams split the season series a year ago.


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry