Newark, N.J. – Tariq Francis and
Sebastian Robinson combined for 42 points as NJIT returned to the Wellness and Events Center with a victory over Navy, 69-64, on Saturday afternoon.
Francis led all scorers with 23 points, 17 of which came in the second half. This marks the fifth straight game in which Francis has scored at least 23 points. Robinson also had a strong second half, scoring 11 of his 19 points after halftime.
How it Happened
The two sides played things close throughout, with neither team holding a double-digit lead at any point in the contest. Navy would throw the first punch, taking its largest lead of the day, 20-12, midway through the first half. The Highlanders pushed back, using an 8-0 run to tie things up thanks to a putback from
Levi Lawal and three-pointers from
Ari Fulton and
Tim Moore Jr.
Neither team took a lead larger than four points for the final 10 minutes of the half, and the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked at 33-33.
Francis and Robinson were the stars of the show in the second half, scoring a combined 28 of the Highlanders' 36 points after halftime. Francis nailed a jumper early in the half to answer Navy scoring four straight points to begin the half. Later in a back-and-forth start to the half, Robinson put home a layup at 11:56 to tie things up at 44-44. This sparked a 7-0 run for NJIT with all seven points coming from Robinson, including a tough driving layup through contact with 11:06 to go which gave NJIT the lead for good.
Navy would remain close, trimming the deficit back down to one, 51-50, with just under eight minutes to play. That was when Francis continued to assert himself, following up a
Jordan Rogers basket with one of his own on the next possession to give NJIT five-point edge. Francis stayed aggressive, knocking down another midrange jumper with 5:35 left to surpass the 20-point plateau. The momentum remained on the Highlanders' side, with the home side opening up a lead as large as nine with just over two minutes to play thanks to a layup from
Levi Lawal. Navy played the foul game late, but NJIT was able to hold on at the end to take the victory.
News & Notes
- On top of scoring 23 points in five straight games, he has also surpassed 20 points in six of his last seven outings.
- Robinson has been on a solid offensive stretch as well, averaging 15.8 points over his last four games.
- Lawal finished the day with 10 rebounds, five of which were offensive. Four of his six points were second-chance points.
- Moore was the third Highlander to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points.
- Rogers played 24 minutes off the bench, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out three assists while pitching in with six points.
- This is NJIT's first ever victory over Navy in their third all-time meeting.
Up Next
NJIT heads back out on the road this Wednesday with a trip to Delaware State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
