Lynchburgh, VA - A late run lifted host Liberty past the NJIT men's basketball team, 62-49, in front of 4,745 spectators at the Vines Center on Saturday evening.

A layup from Souleymane Diakite cut the Flames' (24-3, 10-2 ASUN) lead to just one, 35-34, with 12:30 to play in the contest. Liberty scored the next six points to get the lead up to seven and NJIT (7-18, 4-8 ASUN) couldn't get closer than five the rest of the way as the hosts held on for their fifth-straight victory.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with NJIT leading for most of the frame. Liberty went in front by one with four minutes left and led by five late in the half, but a pair of Zach Cooks three-pointers made the margin 23-21 at halftime.

NJIT shot 30.8% (8-of-26) in the first half, while Liberty finished the half at 25.0% (7-of-28). 

Both teams shot much better in the second half, trading baskets for much of the first eight minutes until the Flames' aforementioned run. 

Diakite and Shyquan Gibbs each scored eight points after halftime for the Highlanders as they were 47.9% (11-fof-23) from the field, while Liberty made 51.9% (14-of-27) of its shots, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. 

Cooks led NJIT with 14 points in Saturday's loss, as Diakite and Gibbs also reached double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Diakite finished just shy of a double-double, grabbing a game-high nine rebounds.

Four Flames scored in double figures, with Caleb Homesely, Myo Baxter-Bell and Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz each scoring 14 to lead the way.

NJIT will look to end its four-game losing streak on Thursday when it hosts Stetson at 7pm in the Wellness and Events Center in Newark.