Amherst, Mass. – Tariq Francis surpassed the 20-point plateau for the third straight game, however the NJIT men's basketball team came up short at UMass on Sunday afternoon, 80-68.

Francis finished with a game-high 24 points on the help of four made three-pointers. Sebastian Robinson had a solid showing with 14 points, while Tim Moore Jr. finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.

How it Happened
NJIT struggled on the offensive end to open the game, with UMass opening up a 19-point lead early, 32-13. Late in the first half, Francis knocked down back-to-back jumpers to help give the Highlanders some momentum heading into the locker room.

Francis came out of the locker room red hot, scoring 10 of NJIT's first 12 points to help trim the deficit to 11, 45-34. After a couple free throws from Ari Fulton, Francis nailed a three-pointer at the 14:43 mark of the second half to pull the Highlanders within nine, 48-39. UMass was able to maintain a double-digit advantage for much of the second half, but the Highlanders would use timely baskets to inch closer. Moore nailed a three at 11:01 mark to once again draw NJIT closer, 56-47.

The Minutemen would use a big run to push their lead back up to 17 with just 5:28 remaining, but NJIT had one more run in it. Francis' fourth 3-pointer of the game sparked a 9-0 run for the Highlanders which helped them close the gap to eight, 71-63, with 3:29 to go. However, UMass was able to stem the tide and pull away with the victory.

News & Notes

• This marks the second time in Francis' career that he has scored 20+ points in three consecutive games.
• Moore's 11 rebounds are a new season high.
• Fulton made his first career start, scoring seven points and pulling down eight rebounds in 26 minutes.

Up Next
NJIT heads across town on Wednesday night to face Seton Hall, with tip-off slated for 8:30 p.m. at Prudential Center.