NEWARK, N.J. – The NJIT Highlanders (13-5,1-2 ASUN) fell to Lipscomb (13-4, 4-0 ASUN) on Wednesday at the Wellness and Events Center, 70-52.

The loss was NJIT's first at home since mid-December and just their second loss in Newark this season.

Sophomore Zach Cooks finished as NJIT's top scorer with 11 points, followed by senior Mohamed Bendary who had a strong showing off the bench with nine points and six rebounds.

WATCH: NJIT vs. Lipscomb Highlights

Lipscomb took charge from the start, beginning on an 8-0 run in the opening four minutes of the game.

Bendary sparked the NJIT scoring, putting up four points and adding three rebounds soon after entering the game.

Cooks led the first half scoring with seven points while senior Diandre Wilson scored five points to reign in the early Lipscomb lead to as little as 19-16 with less than eight minutes left in the half.

However, the Bisons kicked their offense into high gear, ending the first half on a 17-4 run, led by Rob Marberry's 7-8 field goals for 14 points. He finished with 23 points on the night.

Lipscomb's bench pitched in with 18 combined points to give the Bisons a commanding 16-point lead at halftime, 36-20.

Lipscomb were extremely efficient shooting from the field in the first half, hitting 53% of their field goals compared to NJIT's 38% - a trend which continued throughout the game.

A tough stretch of five fouls called on NJIT in the opening two-and-a-half minutes set back the Highlanders from the start.

Wilson fouled out with 11 minutes remaining in the half and Lipscomb went on a 12-0 run midway through the period to put the game out of reach.

Freshman Diego Willis was a bright spot for the Highlanders, finishing with nine points off the bench shooting after shooting 3-6 from beyond the arc.

Freshman Souleymane Diakite and Kjell de Graaf logged a combined 16 minutes in the game. Diakite tallied three points and de Graaf hit a late three pointer.

The Highlanders will finish their two-game home stand in Newark, N.J. on Saturday, January 19 when they face Jacksonville at 4 p.m. (TV: ESPN+)

Tickets are on sale on NJITTix.com.