Game 9	NJIT Highlanders (1-7, 0-0 America East) at UMass Minutement (2-5, 0-0 Atlantic 10)
Date & Time	Sunday, December 1 | 12 p.m.
Location	Mullins Center | Amherst, Mass.
Live Video	ESPN+
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | UMass Notes
Follow	X/Twitter | Instagram | Live Stats

NEWARK, NJ – Coming off its first victory of the season, the NJIT men's basketball team heads to Amherst for a showdown against UMass. Tip-off is slated for Sunday at 12 p.m. with live coverage available on ESPN+.

Highlanders Hit the Road
After playing two of its first three games at home inside the Wellness and Events Center, NJIT is in the midst of a seven-game road swing. Last weekend featured two matchups with teams from the DMV in Morgan State and George Washington, followed by a trip to Bucknell this past Thursday.

After its stay in Cleveland, NJIT will head up to face UMass on Dec. 1 before wrapping up the road swing with a quick trip to Prudential Center to face Seton Hall on Dec. 4. The seven straight games away from home is the longest such stretch in NJIT's Division I history.

NJIT vs. UMass: All-Time Series
Sunday is the second ever meeting between the Highlanders and the Minutemen. The programs are meeting for the first time since Nov. 17, 2011, when UMass defeated NJIT, 79-58, inside Mullins Center.

NJIT is 4-7 all-time against Atlantic 10 schools, with the four wins coming against Fordham and Duquesne (two each). This marks the second game for the Highlanders this season against an A-10 foe, as NJIT suffered an 84-64 defeat at George Washington back on Nov. 18. The Highlanders faced a pair of A10 schools last season, falling at George Mason before defeating Fordham at Rose Hill.

Highlander Highlights

• The Highlanders are coming off their first win of the season on Wednesday night, defeating Morehead State, 78-69, in their final game at the Cleveland State Thanksgiving Throwback.
• Three NJIT players scored in double figures, led by Tariq Francis' 23 points. It was Francis' fourth 20+ point game of the season and his third in the last four games.
• Sebastian Robinson erupted in the second half against Morehead State, scoring 19 of his 21 points after halftime. All four of Robinson's made three-pointers came in the second half.
• NJIT finished 1-1 at the Cleveland State Thanksgiving Throwback, suffering a loss in the tournament opener against the Vikings on Tuesday night.
• Despite the defeat in Tuesday's game against Cleveland State, the Highlanders held the Vikings to an 0-for-13 clip from behind the three-point line.
• The Highlanders are in the midst of playing seven straight games away from home, which marks the longest such stretch in NJIT's Division I history.
• Tariq Francis finished just one assist shy of his first career double-double on Nov. 18 at George Washington, tallying 20 points and nine assists.
• Francis is averaging 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists over his last four games.
• Francis and Robinson have scored 20 points in the same game on two occasions this season, making NJIT the only team in the America East to have two 20+ point scorers in a single game so far this season.
• Grant Billmeier enters his second season as Head Coach of the Highlanders after going 7-21 overall and 3-13 in America East in his first season in University Heights.
• NJIT boasts a young roster, with 13 of its 15 members (87%) being either freshmen or sophomores, ranking the Highlanders T-2nd in the nation in that category.
• Of the 12 players who have seen minutes this season for NJIT, just four of them entered the season with previous DI experience (Francis, Goldberg, Lawal, Robinson).

Next Up
Upon returning to the east coast, NJIT will trek up to Amherst, Mass. to face its second Atlantic 10 foe of the season in UMass on Sunday at 12 p.m.

Stay up to date on all things NJIT Men's Basketball throughout the season by following @NJITHoops on X/Twitter and Instagram.