NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT men's basketball concludes a three-game road stretch on Thursday night when it travels to Rhode Island to take on first place Bryant at 6 p.m. The game can be seen live on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Tariq Francis and
Tim Moore Jr. scored 22 points apiece, but the NJIT men's basketball team could not temper a hot-shooting second half from New Hampshire in a 80-69 defeat on Saturday afternoon.
NJIT got off on the right foot, with a three from
Jordan Rogers and consecutive buckets from
Sebastian Robinson and Moore to give the Highlanders an early 7-3 edge. UNH would respond with an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the game, but NJIT would punch back. Three triples from Francis, one from well behind the three-point arc on the right wing, gave the Highlanders a five-point lead, 22-17. The second half opened with a bang, as Moore caught a lob from Robinson and slammed home a ferocious alley-oop dunk to push the Highlander lead to five. However, efficient shooting from New Hampshire ruled the second half, as the Wildcats scored the following eight points to take the lead. NJIT hung in there, with buckets from Francis and Moore keeping the Highlanders within a point. However, UNH's second half field goal percentage of 61 percent helped guide them to a victory.
What Sophomore Slump?
Tariq Francis put on a show during his first season as a Highlander in 2023-24, and has continued that level of play during his sophomore campaign. The Pittsburgh native leads the America East with his 18.6 points per game overall and ranks third in the league with 18.5 ppg during conference play.
This comes after posting one of the finest seasons of any freshman in the country. Francis was named America East Rookie of the Year and Met Basketball Writers Rookie of the Year after averaging a team-high 14.8 points overall. His scoring average soared to 18.7 points during America East games last year, ranking him fifth in the league and tops among all true freshmen in the nation in conference scoring.
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 11.8 points and shooting 49 percent overall on the season, but his play of late has certainly impressed. The Houston native is averaging 14.5 pts, 7.9 reb, 52.4% FG over his last 14 games dating back to a 20-point outing at Delaware State. In his 10 games prior, Moore averaged just 9.1 pts and 5.6 rebounds.
NJIT vs. Bryant: All-Time Series
The Bulldogs came to the WEC and put on a strong second half shooting display in a 92-70 win over the Highlanders just under two weeks ago. NJIT has just one win all-time against Bryant, a 61-51 win back on Jan. 21, 2009.
Highlander Highlights
- NJIT couldn't temper a hot-shooting second half from New Hampshire in a 80-69 loss to the Wildcats on Saturday.
- Tariq Francis and Tim Moore Jr. each scored 22 points in the loss, the second time this season they each surpassed the 20-point plateau in the same game.
- Five Highlanders finished in double figures in last Thursday's 78-74 loss at Maine, led by Sebastian Robinson's 16 points.
- NJIT trounced UMass Lowell, 83-62, on Jan. 30 at home for the Highlanders' largest America East victory since joining the league prior to the 2020-21 season.
- Tim Moore Jr. had a career night, finishing with 24 points, including his 1000th career point, as well as a career-high 15 rebounds.
- Robinson finished with 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds at Vermont on Jan. 23, the first NJIT player in its Division I era (since 2006) to post such a stat line.
- Robinson stepped up his offensive production during Francis' four-game absence earlier this season, averaging 17.8 pts and 6.8 ast during Francis' four-game absence.
- Francis has hit at least one three-pointer in 39 consecutive games. His last game without a make from behind the arc was Dec. 9, 2023 at Wake Forest.
- 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.
- 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 this season at 18.6 ppg.
- NJIT is second in America East in three-point defense (.306) and third in free throw percentage (.734).
- 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.
- Only three players on NJIT's active roster entered this season with previous Division I experience (Francis, Lawal, Robinson).
Next Up
The Highlanders return home on Saturday as they face Binghamton for the first time this season. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. inside the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
Stay up to date on all things NJIT Men's Basketball throughout the season by following @NJITHoops on X/Twitter and Instagram.
