NEWARK, NJ– The NJIT men's basketball team heads north this weekend for a pair of critical America East showdowns at New Hampshire and Maine.
The Highlanders will take on UNH on Thursday at 7pm and Maine on Saturday at 2pm. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
All-Time Series (vs. UNH)
NJIT is 4-4 all time against the Wildcats, including 1-4 since it joined the America East prior to the 2020-21 season. The Highlanders won their first four against UNH, but have dropped the last four, including a 70-62 contest last month in Newark a pair last season. UNH and Maine are the only teams in the America East that NJIT is .500 or better against.
All-Time Series (vs. Maine)
NJIT is 8-5 all time against the Black Bears, including 4-3 since it joined the America East prior to the 2020-21 season. Maine earned a 70-64 win earlier this season in Newark after swept the two-game season series last season, which were two of their four America East wins. Maine won the first two games in the series in 2006 and 2007, but the Highlanders are 8-2 since then. NJIT is 5-2 all-time vs. Maine in Newark.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WATCH
NJIT's Tariq Francis has earned seven of 15 America East Rookie of the Week Awards this season, in addition to one America East Player of the Week honor. The Pittsburgh, PA, native leads all AE rookies in scoring (14.0 ppg).
Last Time Out: Binghamton 69, NJIT 55 | Sat. 2/17/24 in Newark, NJ
The NJIT men's basketball team was defeated 69-55 by visiting Binghamton on Saturday afternoon in America East action at the Joel and Diane Wellness and Events Center.
Tariq Francis opened the scoring with a three-pointer and after Binghamton answered with a layup, Francis hit another triple to make the score 6-2.
The Bearcats tied the score at 6-6 and took their first lead of the game with 11:12 on the clock when a jumpshot from Dan Petcash made it 12-11 in favor of the visitors.
Binghamton opened up the margin to as many as seven several times in the first half before the Highlanders cut it to two just before halftime. Another Petcash jumper in the final minutes of the first half made the score 32-28 Binghamton at halftime.
The Bearcats scored the first six points of the second half to go ahead by 10 and led by at least six the rest of the way before ultimately winning by the 16-point margin.
Francis was NJIT's top scorer as the rookie finished with 18 points to go along with four rebounds and four steals. He was joined in double figures by Mekhi Gray who scored 14 points, thanks in part to a perfect 10-for-10 effort from the foul line. Levi Lawal, another NJIT freshman, also put together a solid game, finishing with seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Armon Harried led the Bearcats with 17 points while playing all 40 minutes on Saturday. Symir Torrence returned from injury for Binghamton and scored two points, but filled the stat sheet with eight boards and eight assists.
The Highlanders will look to bounce back on Thursday when they travel to New Hampshire. Tip-off is slated for 7pm in Durham, NH.
Highlander Highlights
* Thursday's game is the 25th of the 2023-24 season -- which marks NJIT's 18th participating in Division I, fourth as a member of the America East and seventh in the WEC.
* NJIT's roster makeup is rather unique with nine freshmen, one junior, one senior, and five post-graduate players, including four in their sixth collegiate season
* Just two weeks ago, the Highlanders caught the America East, and the nation, by storm with two of their best wins since joining the America East prior to the 2020-21 as they ended Vermont's 23-game America East winning streak with a 63-61 victory in Newark on Thurs. behind a career-high 31 point effort from Tariq Francis. Francis and the Highlanders followed it up with a 71-64 win on Sat. vs. UMass Lowell.
* Mekhi Gray played in his 100th career game last Thursday at UAlbany. Gray is the only Highlander to start all 24 games this season. On 2/10 vs. UML NJIT's Elijah Buchanan scored the 1,000th point of his career.
* NJIT came back from a 22-point halftime deficit on 1/25 for its first America East victory at UMBC. The 22-point comeback is the program's biggest in its D1 era (18 seasons).
* Tariq Francis (seven) and Sebastian Robinson (three) and have combined for 10 of the 15 America East Rookie of the Week Awards this season.
* Kjell de Graaf (12 pts, 11 rbs vs. Medgar Evers, Mekhi Gray (13 pts, 10 rbs vs. Morgan St.) and Levi Lawal (11 pts, 12 rebs vs. New Hampshire) each recorded their first-career double-doubles this season.
* Grant Billmeier announced on Feb. 8 that Kjell de Graaf will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. de Graaf was averaging a career-best 10.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg.
* NJIT will close its season with three of four on the road. .
Next Up
The Highlanders will wrap up their regular season with a pair of games next weekend. NJIT will host UMBC Thursday at 7pm for its annual Senior Day and then wrap up the regular season Saturday at 4pm vs. Bryant.
