JERSEY CITY, NJ - The NJIT men's basketball team fell into an early hole in Monday's season opener at Saint Peters and ultimately were defeated 73-59 by the Peacocks in Run Baby Run Arena.

Saint Peter's scored the first 17 points of the game over the first 5:55 and never looked back, leading by as many as 27 before ultimately winning by the 14-point margin.

Veteran big man Souleymane Diakite was a bright spot for the Highlanders, leading three NJIT scorers in double-digits with a 16-point effort on 6-of-7 shooting from the field. Diakite's season-high in 2021-22 was 14 in 29 games played.

Joining Diakite in double figures were Raheim Sullivan (13 points) and Paul McMillan IV (12 points). Sullivan also led NJIT in rebounds with eight while Diakite pulled down seven. 

After going down 17-0, Miles Coleman got the Highlanders on the board with a three-pointer. The Highlanders were unable to get the margin to less than 14 for the duration of the half and Saint Peter's extended their lead to 21, 41-20, at halftime. 

NJIT outscored Saint Peter's 39-32 after halftime to make the final margin 14. All 13 of Sullivan's points came after halftime, with nine of those coming on three three-pointers. 

In addition to his 12 points, McMillan also contributed to the defensive efforts with three steals and a block. McMillan, a highly-touted prospect out of Cincinnati, was the first Highlander to start a season opener since Damon Lynn when NJIT opened the 2013-14 season at Tulane. Lynn went on to break the program scoring record and lead the Highlanders to a great deal of success during his career. 

NJIT will continue its three-game, season-opening road trip this week with a pair of games in California. The Highlanders are slated to play California Baptist on Friday at 7pm (PT) and San Diego on Sunday at 2pm (CT).