Newark, N.J. – The NJIT men's basketball team could not hold onto its halftime lead in a 57-44 defeat to Maine on Thursday morning inside the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
How it Happened
Both offenses paced themselves to open the game, with an early jumper from
Sebastian Robinson giving NJIT its first lead, 6-4, just over five minutes in. Later in the half,
Tim Moore Jr. would break out the hops for one of his three first half dunks, catching a lob from Robinson on a baseline cut. Moore would get out in the open floor a few minutes later and give the 1,500 students in attendance for Education Day a show.
A made three-pointer from
Ari Fulton with some free throws from Robinson mixed in helped the Highlanders ignite a 13-2 run to lead by seven, 21-14, late in the first half. The Black Bears would chip away and level the score at 23-23 with just over a minute remaining until halftime, but NJIT would respond and take a three-point edge into halftime.
Maine came out of the locker room strong, using a 10-0 run to take the lead for good early in the second half. NJIT tried to narrow the deficit late in the frame, but Maine was able to respond to any Highlander momentum down the stretch as it pulled out its third straight conference win.
News & Notes
- Robinson picked up five assists on the day, surpassing that mark in three of his last four games.
- Tariq Francis returned to the court after a four-game absence, playing his first game since Dec. 14 against Wagner. Francis finished with 11 points and five rebounds in 36 minutes.
- Moore earned his fourth double-double of the year, finishing with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Up Next
NJIT welcomes New Hampshire to the WEC on Saturday afternoon with tip time slated for 3 p.m.
