Newark, N.J. – The NJIT men's basketball team was unable to fend off a second half surge in a home defeat to Loyola (Md.), 68-50, on Tuesday night at the Wellness and Events Center.

How it Happened
After the Greyhounds opened the game with five straight points, NJIT answered with back-to-back buckets on a putback layup from Tim Moore Jr. and an alley oop dunk from Ari Fulton. Loyola would later reclaim its lead, but the Highlanders stayed consistent at the offensive end, using a couple jumpers from Jake Goldberg with a Tariq Francis layup sandwiched in between to tie the score, 15-15, midway through the half.

The Highlanders would take their first lead of the game at the 5:19 mark, as Francis kept his strong first half going with a tough layup in the paint. The Greyhounds would hop back in front on the following possession and take a three-point edge into the locker room.

NJIT was right in it early in the second half, as a couple dunks from Moore had it within four at the first media break. However, Loyola used its three-point shooting to pull away in the second half and come away with the victory.

News & Notes

• Francis' 17 points led all scorers on the night.
• Moore went a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor, scoring six points and grabbing seven rebounds.
• Cameron Piggee played in his second career game, scoring four points off the bench.

Up Next
The Highlanders kick off a seven-game road trip on Saturday as they travel to Morgan State for an 11 a.m. tip-off.