Game Highlights (VIDEO)

Postgame Comments from Kennedy, Lynn, Tarke

Play of the Game: Tarke's Thunderous Put-Back


NEWARK, NJ – Senior guard Damon Lynn drained six three-pointers en route to a game-high 33 points and NJIT (9-10, 1-2 ASUN) picked up their first conference win with an 84-78 victory over North Florida (7-13, 2-1 ASUN) on Saturday afternoon at Fleisher Athletic Center in Newark.
 
The win snapped a two-game skid and also marked the first all-time victory for the Highlanders against North Florida in their third try.

"That was a great mid-major college game tonight," said NJIT's Brian Kennedy, who earned his first conference victory of his head coaching career. "North Florida has had a great run the last several years and they have a great player in Dallas Moore. Our guys really fought and were up for the challenge."

The game featured a rare matchup of a pair of 2,000-point scorers in Lynn and Moore -- who entered play ranked first (2,103) and third (2,051), respectively, in Division-I active career scoring leaders. Both seniors lived up to the billing, as the duo of Preseason ASUN All-Conference selections both reached 30 points. Moore finished with 30 points, marking the ASUN-leading sixth time he's tallied at least 30 in a game this season.

"I think [Moore] is a similar player to me. He has a lot of heart. He's calm," said Lynn, who entered the game ranked third in the ASUN at 21.3 points per game this season. "I like the way he plays. Hey, it's a challenge." 

For Lynn, 33 points tied for the second-highest, single-game total in his career and the eighth time he reached the 30-point plateau.

"What a battle," Kennedy said. "I'm just so proud I've got Number Five on my team. Love him to death. He's for the heart of a lion. He's my guy."
 
After a dunk from UNF's Chris Davenport cut the lead to eight at 44-36 with 16:02 to play, the Highlanders embarked on a 15-5 run capped by a free throw from senior guard Rob Ukawuba to open up their biggest lead of the game at 59-41 with 9:51 left.
 
NJIT would continue to lead by double digits until back-to-back threes from Moore cut the lead to six at 76-70 in the final minute.
 
Lynn would go on to hit six free throws in the final 0:43 and help preserve the victory for the Highlanders. The Hillside, N.J., native hit 11-of-12 from the charity stripe on the afternoon.
 
As a team, NJIT sank 29-of-40 (72.5%) from the free-throw line and North Florida hit 21-of-33 (63.6%).
 
The six three-pointers from Lynn give him 431 in his career and move him into a tie for fifth place all-time in NCAA Division-I history. Coincidentally, Moore added four treys and now ranks 13th among all active players in three-point field goals made with 237. 
 
To go along with Lynn's 33 points, freshman Anthony Tarke added a career-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting for Kennedy's squad. Tarke also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to notch his second double-double of the season and first against a D-I opponent.

"They always tell me, when I come into the game with my energy, is to get offensive rebounds, crash the glass and let the game come to me," said Tarke, who also recorded a game-high three steals.

Senior forward Tim Coleman chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds for NJIT.
 
Moore paced the Ospreys with his 30 points while freshman guard Garrett Sams tallied 13 and junior center Romelo Banks added 10 of his own.
 
The Highlanders held North Florida to 7-of-25 (28.0%) shooting from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the hosts sank 7-of-16 (43.8%) from downtown.
 
In the first half, a pair of free throws from Sams tied things at 22 apiece with 7:42 left in the opening stanza before NJIT kicked off a 13-6 run over the remainder of the half and took a 35-28 lead into the locker room.
 
NJIT outrebounded UNF by a 38-28 margin, led by the 10 rebounds from Tarke and seven apiece from Coleman and sophomore center Abdul Lewis. Davenport led the Ospreys with eight boards.
 
The Highlanders will head south on Thursday and battle the Stetson Hatters (7-12, 0-3 ASUN) at the Edmunds Center in Deland, Fla,. Opening tip is slated for 7 p.m. 


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry