NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT men's basketball team returns home to the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center for a two-game homestand, welcoming in UMass Lowell on Thursday night at 7 p.m. Live coverage can be found on ESPN+ with Nick DeLuca and Barry "Slice" Rohrssen describing the action.
Last Time Out
Tariq Francis scored a season-high 27 points, 17 of which came in the second half, but the NJIT men's basketball team fell short on Saturday afternoon to UAlbany, 68-62. Francis, who at one point scored 15 straight NJIT points in the second half, shot 10-of-22 from the floor on the afternoon. The sophomore headlined a trio of Highlanders in double figures, as both
Tim Moore Jr. and
Levi Lawal finished with 10 points.
The Rim Reaper
One of just two graduate students on the roster,
Tim Moore Jr. has found his stride midway through his lone season in University Heights. The transfer from Benedict College is averaging 11.0 points and shooting 51 percent overall on the season, but his play of late has certainly impressed. The Houston native is averaging 12.9 pts, 7.9 reb, 53.4% FG over his last 10 games. That stretch also includes a trio of double-doubles against Wagner, Medgar Evers and Maine. Moore also enters play approaching a milestone as he sits just 10 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
NJIT vs. UMass Lowell: All-Time Series
The River Hawks took the 10-9 edge in the series after their 70-62 win over the Highlanders just under three weeks ago. UMass Lowell led that game, 48-28, with 15:32 remaining in the second half, but NJIT rallied late to cut the deficit down to three with 2:19 left.
Sebastian Robinson led the charge, scoring 17 of his 21 points during the second half charge.
NJIT has a 6-3 record against UMass Lowell at home, including a 3-2 mark inside the WEC. Of their nine meetings as America East foes, seven of them have been decided by single digits.
Highlander Highlights
- The Highlanders host UMass Lowell for their second matchup of the season. The first came back on Jan. 11 when NJIT cut a 20-point second half deficit down to three in a 70-62 defeat.
- NJIT picked off the River Hawks at the WEC last season, 71-64, behind 26 points from Tariq Francis.
- Francis scored 27 points in the Highlanders' 68-62 defeat at UAlbany last Saturday, scoring 17 points in the second half and putting up 15 straight NJIT points during one sequence.
- NJIT nearly rallied back from a 16-point deficit on Thursday night in a 68-64 defeat at Vermont.
- Francis and Sebastian Robinson combined for 41 points at Vermont, 33 of which came in the second half. The duo each surpassed the 20-point plateau in the same game for the third time this season.
- Robinson finished with 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds at Vermont, the first NJIT player in its Division I era (since 2006) to post such a stat line.
- NJIT held on late for its first America East win of the season on Saturday, 64-59, over New Hampshire inside the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
- Francis starred in the win for the Highlanders, scoring a game-high 19 points to go along with eight assists, five rebounds and three steals.
- Robinson is averaging 15.7 pts, 5.0 ast and 4.0 reb over his last nine games.
- Robinson stepped up his offensive production during Francis' absence, averaging 17.8 pts and 6.8 ast during Francis' four-game absence.
- Ari Fulton was named America East Rookie of the Week on Jan. 20 after averaging a double-double with 10.5 points and 11.0 rebounds during NJIT's 1-1 week.
- Since entering the starting lineup back on Dec. 1, Fulton is averaging 7.9 pts and 7.5 reb.
- Sebastian Robinson set NJIT's D-1 era program record for assists in a single game, dishing out 15 dimes in the win over Medgar Evers.
- Tariq Francis leads the America East in scoring average on the season at 18.3 ppg.
- NJIT leads the America East in three-point defense (.297) and is third in blocks (4.2).NJIT boasts a young roster, with 12 of its 14 members (86%) being either freshmen or sophomores, ranking the Highlanders fourth in the nation in that category.
Next Up
The Highlanders finish their home stretch on Saturday with a showdown against first-place Bryant at 2 p.m.
Stay up to date on all things NJIT Men's Basketball throughout the season by following @NJITHoops on X/Twitter and Instagram.
