NEWARK, N.J. – The NJIT Highlanders (20-11, 8-8 ASUN) fell to the Liberty Flames (25-6, 14-2 ASUN) on Friday night, 57-51.

With the loss, the Highlanders secured the No. 5 seed in the ASUN Championship and will head to Fort Myers, Fla., to take on the No. 4 seed, Florida Gulf Coast.

NJIT celebrated their five seniors at the Wellness and Events Center on Senior Day. Mohamed Bendary, Donovan Greer, Abdul Lewis, Diandre Wilson and Reilly Walsh were all honored in a pre-game ceremony.

Lewis went on to score a game-high 25 points and pull in nine rebounds. Wilson followed with 10 points and four boards.

Bendary started the scoring for NJIT in his first start since Nov. 17, 2018, but Liberty came out the gates hot on a 12-2 run.

However, the run was stunted abruptly by a Lewis layup and a three pointer by Wilson.

Seniors provided the opening seven field goals of the game for NJIT, featuring five from Lewis who finished with 14 first-half points.

Zach Cooks pulled in a defensive rebound and drove the length of the court for a layup to give the Highlanders their first lead of the half with 90 seconds remaining as NJIT opened a six-minute 8-0 run into the final minute.

The Flames finished the half with a three pointer as NJIT trailed by two at the break, 24-22.

Liberty started half on a 5-0 run ended by Lewis and followed by an incredible and-one layup effort from Wilson.

The Flames opened up an 8-0 run midway through the half for a 10-point cushion, their largest of the game.

Lewis, who crossed the 20-point threshold midway through the second half, once again answered for the Highlanders with an and-one bucket under the rim.

Brinson and Gibbs imitated the effort of the senior, driving to the hoop and laying in back-to-back and-one efforts of their own.

Wilson then stormed down the court for a layup to trim the lead to two points with five minutes remaining.

Liberty bounced back with a 7-1 run extending into the final two minutes of the game to put some distance between the Flames and Highlanders late.

Lewis hit a pair of free throws with 90 seconds remaining and Wilson forced a Liberty turnover, which led to a Gibbs mid-range jumper to trim the lead to four with 57 seconds to go.

More solid NJIT defending forced a travel, but NJIT was unable to find a bucket and fell in the regular season finale.

The NJIT Highlanders take on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Monday, March 4 in the ASUN Championship Quarterfinals at 7 p.m. ET. (TV: ESPN+)