Game 30	NJIT Highlanders (5-24, 2-12 America East) vs. UAlbany Great Danes (15-14, 7-7 America East)
Date & Time	Saturday, March 1 | 2 p.m.
Location	Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center | Newark, N.J.
Live Video	ESPN+ (Eddie Kalegi and Barry "Slice" Rohrssen)
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | UAlbany Notes
Follow	X/Twitter | Instagram | Live Stats

 
NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT men's basketball team will take the court at the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center for the final time this season when they take on UAlbany. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. with live coverage available on ESPN+. Prior to the game, NJIT will hold its Senior Day Ceremony to recognize Tim Moore Jr. and Triston Wennersten.

Last Time Out
Ari Fulton posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Tariq Francis notched another 20-point night but the NJIT men's basketball team came up short against Vermont, 71-61, on Thursday night.

Vermont's lead would get back up to 10, 64-54, with 4:11 to go after two made free throws. The Highlanders made one last surge late, as buckets from Fulton and Francis helped trim the deficit down to four with two minutes left. However, Vermont got timely plays down the stretch to keep its distance from NJIT to claim 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 18.8 points per game overall and ranks second in the league with 19.1 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 13.0 points and shooting 51 percent overall on the season, but his play turned a corner in mid-December. The Houston native is averaging 15.2 pts, 7.7 reb, 52.3% FG over his last 18 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.

Highlander Highlights

• NJIT could not overcome a late double digit deficit in a 71-61 loss to Vermont on Thursday.
• Tariq Francis tied his season-high with 27 points and connected on four 3-pointers last Saturday against UMBC.
• Quentin Duncan was named America East Co-Rookie of the Week after scoring 18 points and knocking down each of his four 3-point attempts. It is his second Rookie of the Week honor fron the league this season.
• The Highlanders shot 52% from the floor and 58% from behind the three-point arc, both season-highs.
• Tim Moore Jr. finished one off his career-high with 28 points along with eight rebounds and a pair of blocks last Saturday against Binghamton.
• Moore leads America East with 41 dunks so far this season.
• In America East play, Moore is ninth in the league in scoring (15.9), fourth in rebounding (8.0), ninth in field goal percentage (53%) and sixth in blocks (1.3).
• Tariq Francis leads America East in scoring (18.8), third in three-pointers made per game (2.3) and fourth in assists (3.7) and free throw percentage (84.6%).
• Francis has hit at least one three-pointer in 42 consecutive games. His last game without a make from behind the arc was Dec. 9, 2023 at Wake Forest.
• NJIT is second in America East and is 38th in the nation in three-point defense (.306).
• 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 conclude the season on Tuesday when they travel to face Binghamton at 7 p.m. on SNY.

Stay up to date on all things NJIT Men's Basketball throughout the season by following @NJITHoops on X/Twitter and Instagram.