NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT men's basketball team looks to get back into the win column on its home floor on Saturday afternoon as they host Wagner at the Wellness and Events Center. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. on ESPN+ with Matt Provence and Barry "Slice" Rohrssen on the call.
Last Time Out
Tim Moore Jr. notched a season-high 20 points to go along with seven points, but the NJIT men's basketball team fell on the road at Delaware State on Wednesday night, 71-59. Moore's game was his most efficient as a Highlander, as he connected on six of his 12 shots from the floor. The graduate student also added two blocks and two steals while shooting 8-for-9 at the free throw line.
NJIT 72, Michigan 70 – Ten Years After an Upset
During Saturday's game, NJIT will welcome back members of the 2014-15 Highlanders men's basketball team which captured the seminal moment in program history. NJIT's victory over No. 17 Michigan marked the upward trajectory of Highlander athletics, allowing the school to join the Atlantic Sun Conference the following season and eventually the America East in 2020. The win also allowed NJIT's plan of the Wellness and Events Center come to fruition, with the building opening before the 2017-18 season and standing as one of the finest mid-major facilities in the country.
What Sophomore Slump?
Tariq Francis put on a show during his first season as a Highlander in 2023-24, and has continued that level of play during his sophomore campaign. The Pittsburgh native leads America East and ranks 27th in the nation with his 19.7 points per game and is sixth in total points scored with 236. Francis has been on a tear as of late, averaging 21.7 points over his last seven games.
NJIT vs. Wagner: All-Time Series
The Highlanders and Seahawks will meet for the 21st time on Saturday afternoon. Despite NJIT owning a 12-8 edge in the series history, Wagner has taken each of the last two matchups. The last Highlander win in the series came in an 88-69 win back on Nov. 16, 2019.
Highlander Highlights
- The Highlanders look to bounce back from a 71-59 defeat at Delaware State on Wednesday.
- Tim Moore Jr. had his best game as a Highlander, scoring a team-best 20 points while adding seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
- Wagner and NJIT met last season, with the Seahawks claiming a 64-51 win on Staten Island.
- NJIT head coach Grant Billmeier and Wagner head coach Donald Copeland were college teammates during their playing days at Seton Hall. The pair spent three seasons playing together with the Pirates from 2003-06, reaching two NCAA Tournaments together.
- NJIT will be honoring the 10th anniversary of men's basketball's upset victory over No. 17 Michigan, which took place in Ann Arbor back on Dec. 6, 2014.
- The victory over the Wolverines was significant not just for the final score, but helped propel the Highlanders forward in the Division I landscape. The win helped NJIT, previously the lone D-1 basketball independent, into the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2015 and later the America East in 2020. The victory also led to the construction of the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center, which opened in 2017.
- NJIT picked up its second victory of the season last Saturday, defeating Navy 69-64.
- Tariq Francis led the Highlanders with 23 points, overcoming a slow start to put up 17 points in the second half.
- Francis has scored at least 23 points in five of his last six games, and has surpassed the 20-point plateau in six of his last eight contests.
- NJIT ranks 42nd in the nation in free throw percentage (76.6%) and also ranks just outside the top-50 in the nation in blocks per game (4.7, 54th)
- Francis and Robinson have scored 20 points in the same game on two occasions this season, making NJIT one of two America East teams to have multiple games with two 20+ point scorers so far this season (Bryant).
Next Up
The Highlanders will have some time off for the holiday break before flying out to Seattle to take on Washington on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 3 p.m. on Peacock.
Stay up to date on all things NJIT Men's Basketball throughout the season by following @NJITHoops on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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