NJIT Game Notes (PDF)


NEW ROCHELLE, NY --The Highlanders (5-6) will look to snap a two-game losing skid when they battle the Iona Gaels (6-3) on Wednesday night at Hynes Athletic Center. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m.
 
NJIT is coming off an 87-71 loss at Kent State on Saturday while Iona topped Ohio by a score of 79-75 in New Rochelle.
 
The game will be shown live on ESPN3 (all remaining NJIT home basketball games can be seen on ESPN3).
 
A simple way to find ESPN3 is on NJIT's official athletics website, www.njithighlanders.com. Near the middle of the home page NJIT TV section, click Upcoming Events for a list of scheduled NJIT contests. After finding the event, click the camera icon to the right of the event listing. That brings you to an ESPN3 portal where you can access the desired program.
 
Matt Provence, the voice of the Highlanders, will have the audio call with the pregame show beginning at 6:45 p.m. The broadcast can be accessed for free at www.njithighlanders.com or by clicking here.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
 
This will mark the first ever meeting between the Highlanders and the Gaels.
 
NJIT is 3-13 all-time against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foes. However, Wednesday is the first game against a MAAC foe since a 78-73 win over Canisius in the 2015 CIT Quarterfinals.
 
GAEL STORM
 
The Gaels have won two in a row and six of their last seven after dropping back-to-back contests to start the season.
 
In the 79-75 win over Ohio, senior forward Jordan Washington led all scorers with a game-high 30 points while junior guard/forward Jan Svandrlik chipped in with 19 points off the bench. Freshman guard/forward E.J. Crawford scored the final four points of the game and had 15 for head coach Tim Cluess' squad.
 
Iona ranks third in the MAAC in scoring at 75.0 ppg and has shot 44.1% from the field as a team.
 
Washington leads the team in scoring at 16.9 ppg and also ranks tops on the team in rebounding with 6.6 boards per game. He is joined in double figures by Crawford (10.0 ppg) and senior guards Sam Cassell Jr. (12.9 ppg) and Jon Severe (11.0 ppg).
 
Cluess is in his seventh season at the helm of the Gaels and has led his team to 20+ wins in each of his first six seasons including NCAA Tournament berths in 2012, 2013 and 2016.
 
The Floral Park, N.Y., native was also named MAAC Coach of the Year in 2013-14.
 
Cluess has turned the Gaels into an offensive force during his tenure as they have ranked in the top 10 in the country in points per game in four of his six seasons.
 
Prior to coming to New Rochelle, he spent four seasons as the head coach at LIU Post at the Division II level and posted an astounding 98-23 record (.810).
 
Cassell Jr. is the son of three-time NBA Champion Sam Cassell who spent 15 seasons in the league with eight different teams.
 
The elder Cassell averaged 15.7 ppg in his career and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2004. He currently serves as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers.
 
Severe spent the first three seasons of his career at Fordham and set the school's all-time freshman scoring record with 536 points (17.3 ppg) in 2013-14.
 
NJIT OUTLOOK
 
Kent State rode a big first half to the 87-71 win over the Highlanders on Saturday and shot 50.0% from the field in the game.
 
NJIT did not go quietly though as they battled back in the second half and cut the deficit to single digits with just over 10 minutes to play.
 
Senior guard Damon Lynn led head coach Brian Kennedy's squad with 23 points while fellow senior Osa Izevbuwa added a career-high 21 and freshman Anthony Tarke contributed 11 points and five rebounds off the bench.
 
The 21 points from Izevbuwa topped his previous career-high of 15, which was set in a 90-55 win over Sarah Lawrence on Feb. 28, 2015.
 
Senior forward Tim Coleman grabbed three rebounds in the game and is now just one shy of becoming the school's all-time leading rebounder.
 
This marks the fourth game of a season-high five game road trip for the Highlanders. 


Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry