NEWARK, NJ - The NJIT men's basketball team dropped its home opener on Saturday afternoon, falling 74-47 to visiting Saint Peter's at the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
Saint Peter's scored the first seven points of the game and led the rest of the way en route to the 27-point win.Â
Corey Washington's three-pointer with three seconds left in the first half gave the Peacocks a 38-25 lead at halftime.Â
NJIT opened up the second half with five-straight points from
Elijah Buchanan and a pair of free throws from
Mekhi Gray cut the deficit to six, but that was as close as the Highlanders were able to get.
Saint Peter's went on a 16-0 run midway through the second half to put the game away and led by as many as 29 before ultimately earning the 27-point victory.Â
Adam Hess, who was 4-of-4 from the field (all three-pointers), led the Highlanders in scoring with 12 points and rebounding with six boards.Â
Saint Peter's took advantage of the free throw line going 30-of-34 (88.2%) for the game. Washington led the Peacocks with 23 points and recorded a double-double as he also added 10 rebounds.Â
NJIT will look to get its first win of the season on Thursday when it travels to American. Tip-off is slated for 7pm in Washington DC.Â
