Game 27	NJIT Highlanders (5-22, 2-10 America East) at UMBC Retreivers (12-16, 4-9 America East)
Date & Time	Saturday, Feb. 22 | 12 p.m.
Location	Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena | Baltimore, Md.
Live Video	ESPN+
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | UMBC Notes
Follow	X/Twitter | Instagram | Live Stats

 
NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT men's basketball team heads to Baltimore this Saturday for a showdown against UMBC. The game tips off at 12 p.m. on ESPN+.

Last Time Out
Tim Moore Jr. finished one off his career high with 28 points, but the NJIT men's basketball team came up just short in overtime in a 75-71 defeat to Binghamton on Saturday afternoon.

Binghamton started the second half strong, but NJIT was able to hang in with some timely buckets. After consecutive makes from the visitors out of the locker room, Jordan Rogers answered with a three from the corner to cut the deficit to four, 34-30. The Bearcats claimed momentum later in the half, using a 13-2 run midway through the half to take a 13-point lead. The Highlanders responded, with Moore helping spark a 16-2 run to take their first lead of the game. Defense ruled the later stages of regulation, and Binghamton hit a pair of free throws with eight seconds left to tie the game. NJIT got a possession to close regulation, but a missed three from the corner sent the game into an extra session. The Bearcats then posted a strong overtime period, outscoring the Highlanders by four to take home the win.

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 second in the league with 18.2 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 13.2 points and shooting 52 percent overall on the season, but his play of late has certainly impressed. The Houston native is averaging 15.8 pts, 7.9 reb, 53.6% FG over his last 16 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. UMBC: All-Time Series
The Retrievers own a 6-5 mark against NJIT all-time, taking the edge in the series after a big second half in their win in Newark back on Jan. 9. The Highlanders came away with a comeback victory down in Baltimore last season, overcoming a 22-point deficit in a 75-74 win. It was NJIT's largest ever comeback win.

Highlander Highlights

• NJIT battled Binghamton last Saturday in a 75-71 overtime loss to the Bearcats in Newark.
• Tim Moore Jr. finished one off his career-high with 28 points along with eight rebounds and a pair of blocks.
• Moore has scored at least 22 points in his last three games and is averaging 24.0 ppg and shooting 63% FG over that span.
• Moore leads America East with 39 dunks so far this season.
• In America East play, Moore is ninth in the league in scoring (15.9), fifth in rebounding (8.0), sixth in field goal percentage (52.8%) and fifth in blocks (1.3).
• Tariq Francis is tied for first in America East in scoring (18.4) and is fourth in assists (3.4), three-pointers made per game (2.4) and free throw percentage (84.1%).
• Francis has hit at least one three-pointer in 41 consecutive games. His last game without a make from behind the arc was Dec. 9, 2023 at Wake Forest.
• NJIT leads America East and is 21st in the nation in three-point defense (.296).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 two players on NJIT's active roster entered this season with previous Division I experience (Francis, Robinson).

Next Up
The Highlanders return home next week for their final two home games of the season, starting with a matchup against Vermont on Thursday at 7 p.m.

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