Game 10	NJIT Highlanders (1-8, 0-0 America East) at Seton Hall Pirates (4-4, 0-0 BIG EAST)
Date & Time	Wednesday, Dec. 4 | 8:30 PM
Location	Prudential Center | Newark, N.J.
Live Video	CBS Sports Network (Tom McCarthy & Chris Walker)
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | SHU Notes
Follow	X/Twitter | Instagram | Live Stats

NEWARK, NJ – The Highlanders head across town to Prudential Center on Wednesday night for a showdown against Seton Hall. Tip-off is slated for 8:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on CBS Sports Network.

Billmeier Back at The Rock
Head Coach Grant Billmeier returns to the sidelines at Prudential Center for the first time since the end of his tenure at Seton Hall in 2022. Billmeier spent seven seasons as an assistant under Kevin Willard at The Hall from 2015-22 and another four as Willard's Director of Basketball Operations from 2010-14. Billmeier helped build Seton Hall teams that won the BIG EAST Tournament in 2016, the BIG EAST regular season crown in 2019-20, and went to five NCAA Tournaments. Billmeier also spent his playing days at Seton Hall, appearing in 106 games and serving as a team captain for two years. He helped the Pirates reach two NCAA Tournament in 2004 and 2006.

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 31st in the nation with his 19.7 points per game and 13th in total points scored with 177. Francis has been on a tear as of late, averaging 22 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, and shooting 40% FG over his last five games.

Road Warriors
Wednesday night's game concludes a long stretch away from home for NJIT. This game ends the Highlanders' seven-game road stretch, which is the team's longest in its Division I history. NJIT will return home on Saturday to host Navy in its first home game since Nov. 12.

NJIT vs. Seton Hall: All-Time Series
NJIT is 0-6 all-time against the Pirates as the sides will meet for the first time in an official game since Nov. 18, 2017. NJIT is just 1-25 all-time against BIG EAST opponents, with its lone win coming at St. John's back on Dec. 20, 2015. This is the second matchup for the Highlanders against a BIG EAST team this season, the first being a trip to Villanova back on Nov. 8.

Highlander Highlights

• NJIT is coming off a hard fought game at UMass on Sunday, dropping an 80-68 decision. Tariq Francis surpassed 20 points for the fourth time in his last five games with a game-high 24 points.
• The Highlanders secured their first win of the season last Wednesday, defeating Morehead State, 78-69, in the final game of the Cleveland State Thanksgiving Throwback.
• Three NJIT players scored in double figures in that game, led by Tariq Francis' 23 points.
• 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.
• Tonight marks the final game of the Highlanders' seven-game road stretch, which is the longest in NJIT's Division I program history.
• NJIT ranks 19th in the nation in free throw percentage (79.6%).
• Francis is averaging 22 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, and shooting 40% FG over last five 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 games with two 20+ point scorers 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.
• Only three players on NJIT's active roster entered this season with previous Division I experience (Francis, Lawal, Robinson).

Next Up
The Highlanders return to the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center for the first time in nearly a month to host Navy on Saturday at 2 p.m.

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