Newark, N.J. – Sebastian Robinson scored a team-best 22 points but the Highlanders were unable to overcome a strong second half from UMBC in a defeat, 87-64, in NJIT's America East opener on Thursday night.
Robinson was one of three Highlanders to score in double figures, joining
Tim Moore Jr. who had 13 points and
Ari Fulton who finished with 11 points.
How it Happened
NJIT got off to a hot start, growing a healthy lead in the early going. After Fulton tapped back his own miss to extend the lead to seven, Moore and Robinson connected on back-to-back jumpers to push NJIT's lead to 11, 20-9. UMBC went on a run to trim the deficit back down to two, but back-to-back threes from Fulton and Robinson pushed NJIT's lead back up to eight, 32-24. NJIT would score a couple more baskets to take a 37-30 lead into the locker room.
UMBC put forth a strong second half, quickly trimming the Highlander lead down to one just two minutes into the frame. After the Retrievers took the lead at the 16:48 mark on a three-pointer,
Quentin Duncan responded with a triple of his own to tie things back up, 45-45. However, UMBC's offense was too much to handle as it shot 64 percent in the second half en route to the win.
News & Notes
- Robinson's 22 points are a new season-high.
- This marked Robinson's third game this season with at least 20 points.
- Fulton finished one rebound shy of his second straight double-double, tallying 11 points and nine rebounds.
Up Next
NJIT hits the road for the first time in America East play on Saturday as it heads to face UMass Lowell at 1 p.m.
