NEWARK, NJ - The NJIT men's basketball team returns home to host Maine on Saturday afternoon in Newark.

Game Information
Tip-off is slated for 4pm inside the Wellness and Events Center in Newark. The game will be streamed on ESPN3 with Matt Provence and Rob Kennedy serving as the play-by-by voice and analyst, respectively. 

Highlander Highlights
*   Saturday's game is the 24th of the 2022-23 season -- which marks NJIT's 17th participating in Division I, third as a member of the America East and sixth in the Wellness & Events Center.
*    NJIT is 3-7 in America East action and five of the 10 games have come down to the final possesion of regulation. Three games needed an overtime period to decide the winner. 
*    One of the OT games took place at Maine earlier this season as the Highlanders won a back-and-forth affair 91-83 in Orono. Four Highlaners scored in 
*    One of those close games was played two weeks ago in Newark, as NJIT held off UMBC 69-65 thanks to a late driving layup from Mekhi Gray and a pair of clutch free throws from Adam Hess.
*    Kevin Osawe leads NJIT with seven double-double this season, which ranks tied for second this season in the America East. Last time out at UMBC, Osawe scored 12 points and pulled down a game-high 14 boards.
*    Saturday's game vs. Maine will be Souleymane Diakite's 114th as a Highlander. 
*    Raheim Sullivan scored 23 points to lead NJIT at Vermont. That mark ties his NCAA career-high which he established last season at Marist against American.
*    Adam Hess leads the America East in 3FG%, knocking down 43.7% this season (45-for-103).Hess has drained three or more three-pointers in nine games this season
*    Six of NJIT's 14 players have completed their undergraduate degrees and are working towards their Master's. Souleymane Diakite and Kjell de Graaf graduated from NJIT last May, while Justin Anderson (Bloomsburg), Adam Hess (E. New Mexico St.), Kevin Osawe (Arkansas-Little Rock), and Raheim Sullivan (Marist) come to NJIT from other institutions.

Last Time Out: UMBC 72, NJIT 63 | Wed. 2/8 in Baltimore, MD
Raheim Sullivan scored 17 points and Kevin Osawe posted his seventh double-double of the season, but it wasn't enough as host UMBC came from behind to defeat NJIT 72-63 in America East Conference action on Wednesday evening at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. 

The Highlanders scored the first six points of the game and then answered a UMBC three-pointer to go ahead 19-3 just over five minutes into the action. UMBC scored 16 of the next 19 points to get within three, 22-19, less than five minutes later. 

The see-saw battle continued from there as Mekhi Gray scored five-straight points for NJIT and Raheim Sullivan added a three-pointer to put the visitors back up by eight with just over seven minutes on the clock in the first half. The margin stayed between seven and 12 for the duration of the first half as NJIT took an 11-point lead, 39-28, at halftime. 

UMBC opened the second half with another run and clawed to within three less than 2:30 into the period. The Highlanders increased the margin to six, but another run from the Retrievers tied the game at 54 with 8:05 to play and the hosts took their first lead of the game forty seconds later on a three-pointer from Matteo Picarelli to go ahead 57-54.

Adam Hess answered the Picarelli triple with a floater to get NJIT within one,but that was as close as the Highlanders got before UMBC extended its lead down the stretch to as many as 12 before winning by the nine-point margin.

NJIT vs...Maine
NJIT and Maine will meet for the 12th time on Saturday, with the Highlanders carrying a 7-4 advantage into the game. As conference opponents, NJIT is 3-2 against the Black Bears. After splitting series the past two seasons, the Highlanders won earlier this season in overtime at Maine. 

NJIT vs. the America East
The Highlanders are 30-54 all-time vs. America East foes. NJIT is 15-29 in conference play as a member of the America East. 


Like Fine Wine
NJIT will feature one of the oldest rosters in the country this season as the team's average age on opening night is 22.7 years old. Kevin Osawe and Adam Hess both turned 24 prior to the season, while Souleymane Diakite, Kjell de Graaf, Justin Anderson, Raheim Sullivan, and Miles Coleman are all 23.

AE Players of the Week
12/19/22 - Kevin Osawe
1/9/23 - Miles Coleman

Up Next
The Highlanders hit the road again on Wednesday when they take on Binghamton in another America East contest. Tip-off is slated for 7pm at the Events Center in Vestal, NY.

​​Stay Connected
Stay up to date during the NJIT Men's Basketball season by following @NJITMBB on Twitter and Instagram and liking the NJIT Men's Basketball page on Facebook.