Box Score
TOP NJIT HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)


(LOWELL, MA) – Junior Christian Lutete scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds as UMass Lowell University defeated NJIT, 94-71, on Saturday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. With the victory, the River Hawks (5-5) snapped a three-game losing streak in the all-time series with the Highlanders (7-2) as well as the America East's five-game combined skid to NJIT.

The loss was NJIT's first on the road this season and in 287 days since Feb. 17 at North Florida (86-75) during the 2017-18 campaign. It also snapped the team's largest road winning streak (4) since a six-gamer in 2001-02.
 
Still, the Highlanders remain off their best start since opening 8-2 in 2000-01, when they competed at the Division-II level.
 
Sophomore Zach Cooks led the Highlanders with a career-high-tying 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting, while also contributing a team-best three steals and a team-high-tying six rebounds. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native had previously dropped 25 points against Cornell on Nov. 17.

Junior Shyquan Gibbs was NJIT's only other double-digit scorer with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting. Senior Abdul Lewis (6 points) and sophomore San Antonio Brinson (8 points) shared rebounding honors with Cooks by collecting six boards a piece.

In addition to the Radford University transfer Lutete, UML had four double-digit scorers in Alex Rivera (16), Obadiah Noel (15), Josh Gantz (12) and Ryan Jones (12). The River Hawks' scoring output tied their season high from a 94-90 win over Sacred Heart University on Nov. 18. It was also the most allowed by NJIT since a 102-69 loss at No. 19 West Virginia University one year and one day ago on Nov. 30, 2017.
 
When broken down to basics, this game simply came down to shooting.
 
UML entered the game as the top scoring team in the AE at 81.2 points per game as well as leading the conference in field-goal percentage (.479) – and the River Hawks had it going to the tune of 57.6-percent (34-for-59) on Saturday. Even more blazing was their shooting from downtown, draining 10-of-20 attempts (50%) from beyond the arc.
 
Meanwhile, NJIT shot just 32.3-percent (10-for-31) in the first half, though eventually rallying back to 42.9-percent (27-for-63) for the game. Additionally, UML had an eye-popping, 23-5 edge in assists.
 
There was also a gigantic first-have surge that powered the River Hawks for the remainder of the afternoon.
 
NJIT jumped out to a 13-11 lead on a jumper by Lewis with 12:36 to go in the first half. But the Highlanders went cold – missing three shots and committing a pair of turnovers during a 13-0 River Hawks' run that followed over the next 3:18. UMass Lowell built up a 24-13 advantage by the time Cooks snapped the drought with a layup.
 
That said, the Highlanders were still unable to get it going again on offense. UML, which shot 55-percent (16-for-29) in the first half, opened up a lead as big as 16 points at 35-19 with 4:04 remaining and went to the break up 47-36 after an expanded, 26-13 run.
 
As mentioned earlier, NJIT shot just 10-for-31 in the first stanza. Take away Cooks, who had a half-high 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting over the first 20 minutes, and the Highlanders had just 14 other points while connecting on a 5-for-20 rate.

With his scoring effort on Saturday, Cooks has surpassed the 20-point plateau for the fourth time in the last five games -- during which time he is averaging 22.0 points per game. He entered the day ranked third in the ASUN in scoring at 17.3 ppg and is now up to 18.1 ppg through nine contests this season.
 
The Highlanders next return home for the first time in three weeks to start a two-game swing on Tuesday against Army West Point. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Wellness and Events Center (WEC).
 
NJIT leads the all-time series, 4-3 – last beating the Black Knights, 79-65, in the first round of the 2016 CollegeInsider.com National Postseason Tournament (CIT) in Newark.
                                                                          
All-time, NJIT is 13-24 against Patriot League opponents. However, the Highlanders have won seven of their last nine meetings with PL foes -- including an 81-78 overtime victory against Colgate in the season-opener at the WEC on Nov. 6, 2018.