VIDEO: NJIT Highlights
FAIRFIELD, CT -
Miles Coleman scored a career-high 33 points on Tuesday to lift the NJIT men's basketball team to its first win of the 2022-23 season as the Highlanders defeated host Sacred Heart 85-75 at the William J. Pitt Center.
Coleman, who has scored at least 23 points in three-straight games, is averaging 28.0 ppg over that span.
It wasn't just Coleman who thrived for the NJIT offense on Tuesday, however, as
Mekhi Gray (15 points),
Kevin Osawe (12 points), and
Adam Hess (11 points) all scored in double-figures for the Highlanders, who shot a season high 50.9% (28-of-55) from the field and 50.0% (11-of-22) from three-point range in the win.
Both offenses were on fire early as the Highlanders and Pioneers were tied 20-20 with 11:36 left in the first half.
From there, NJIT scored 17 in a row to take a commanding 37-20 lead. Sacred Heart didn't go away, answering with a 12-2 run of its own and the Highlanders led 39-32 at halftime.
NJIT took back the momentum at the beginning of the second half when Gray stole the ball on defense, found
Raheim Sullivan in transition and then slammed home an alley-oop from Sullivan to complete the give-and-go.
Sacred Heart was able to cut the lead to five, but unable to get any closer as another NJIT run put the Highlanders up by as many as 16 several times in the half.
Coleman's big afternoon came on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and an even more impressive 7-of-10 performance from three-point range.
In addition to the four Highlanders in double-figures,
Souleymane Diakite and
Paul McMillan IV also had impressive games for NJIT. Diakite pulled down a game-high 11 points to go along with five points and three assists. McMillian IV stuffed the staff sheet, scoring seven points, dishing out five assists while not turning the ball over, and grabbing four rebounds.
The Highlanders return to action on Sunday when they host Wagner in Newark. Tip-off is slated for 2pm in the Wellness and Events Center.
HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS: NJIT is 5-0 when scoring at least 70 points dating back to the beginning of last season...The team's 17 assists were the most since it dished out 22 in a win vs. Libscomb on Jan. 22, 2020...Coleman's 33 points were the most by the Highlanders since Dylan O'Hearn poured in a Division I program record 42 points last season at Lafayette...Coleman's previous career-high was 30, which he set last season in a win at UMass ...NJIT is 2-0 all-time against Sacred Heart as it also defeated the Pioneers 75-70 last season in Newark...McMillan's five assists are the most by a Highlander this season.
