Official ASUN Weekly Award Video


NEWARK, NJ -- NJIT junior Abdul Lewis was named ASUN Player of the Week for Jan. 29 through Feb. 4, as announced by conference officials today. Lewis, a preseason All-ASUN selection, becomes the second Highlanders player to earn weekly honors this season. This also marks the first time in his career he has received an ASUN Player of the Week award.

Lewis was the guiding force behind a 2-0 week for NJIT, which included a huge win at Lipscomb University (RPI 92) on Saturday. In the come-from-behind victory in Nashville, the Newark native drained a career-high and team-high-tying 27 points while posting game-highs in rebounds (13), assists (5) and blocks (4). The last of his career-high-tying four blocks came with a two-point lead and :11 seconds remaining -- paving the way for the improbable comeback after NJIT trailed by 10 points with 3:35 to play. The double-double was Lewis' sixth of the season, which ranks second in the ASUN. His previous career high was 24 points at Florida Gulf Coast on Jan. 21, 2017.

Last Monday, the junior paced NJIT with 20 points while grabbing a team-high-tying eight boards in a 74-71 home victory over Kennesaw State.

Overall, Lewis stuffed the stat sheet over the pair of games, averaging 23.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 blocks per game. He also shot a very efficient 68.0-percent (17-for-25) from the floor and a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.

Over his last five games, the junior is averaging 17.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg and 2.4 bpg while shooting 31-for-46 (67.4%) from the floor and 4-for-4 (100%) from deep. For the season, he leads the ASUN in offensive rebounding (3.0) while ranking second in rpg (8.3), fourth in bpg (1.0), sixth in field-goal percentage (.525), 15th in apg (2.0) and 19th in ppg (11.5). He also sits 17th among all active Division-I players in career rebounding (8.4 rpg).

Last season, Lewis earned ASUN Newcomer of the Week honors on a pair of occasions (Dec. 26-Jan. 1; Jan. 16-22).

Earlier this season, Lewis was named NJHoops.com Division-I Player of the WEek for Jan. 16-22, during which time he averaged 13.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg over two contests.

Sophomore Anthony Tarke was the first Highlander to earn ASUN Player of the Week honors when he averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game over a pair of contests from Dec. 11-17

Lewis and his Highlanders teammates are back in action on Thursday, when NJIT hosts first-place Florida Gulf Coast (18-8, 9-0) for a 7 p.m. tip at the brand-new Wellness and Events Center (WEC) in Newark, N.J.

NJIT (12-12, 5-4) is currently tied for third place with Lipscomb in ASUN standings. The Highlanders were originally predicted to finish last in both the conference's coaches poll and media poll.