NJIT GAME HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)

THE RAFF REPORT: POSTGAME ANALYSIS (VIDEO)


NEWARK, NJ – Lipscomb (14-8, 4-3 ASUN) rallied in the second half and scored 11 of the 15 points in the extra session in an 86-79 overtime win over the NJIT Highlanders (10-12, 3-4 ASUN) on Saturday afternoon at the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) in Newark.
 
Lipscomb rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit and forced overtime with a 41-21 run in the second half en route to the victory.
 
The Bison scored the first five points of the extra session and the Highlanders would not get closer than three the rest of the way.
 
NJIT has now dropped two straight at the WEC after winning 9 of their first 11 inside the new building.
 
Sophomore guard Shyquan Gibbs hit a layup to make it a 43-24 game in favor of the Highlanders with 18:54 to play before Matt Rose hit a three on the other end to kickstart the afore-mentioned 41-21 run for Lipscomb over the next 12 plus minutes.
 
A pair of free throws from Garrison Mathews opened up a 67-64 lead for the Bison with 6:44 left in regulation.
 
NJIT would not go quietly however as head coach Brian Kennedy's squad scored the next six points including a layup from Anthony Tarke that gave the hosts a 70-67 advantage with 5:04 to play.
 
The two teams traded punches over the final five minutes of regulation and a Rob Marberry jumper handed Lipscomb a 75-74 edge with 0:37 left before Tarke made one of two from the charity stripe and tied the game at 75 apiece at the 0:21 mark.
 
Mathews converted a three-point play to start the overtime period and Lipscomb never looked back.
 
Tarke paced the Highlanders with 20 points (7-of-10 FT) and was joined in double figures by junior forward Abdul Lewis (16 points) and freshman guard Zach Cooks (14 points). Junior center Mohamed Bendary delivered eight points and nine rebounds.
 
The 14 points for Cooks marked his third double-digit scoring output over the last five contests.
 
Marberry matched his career-high with 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting to lead Lipscomb, while Mathews came through with 19 points and Rose sank four-of-five from beyond the arc en route to an 18-point effort.
 
NJIT came storming out of the gate in this one as the hosts scored eight of the first 10 points on the afternoon.
 
The Bison cut the lead to 27-17 with 7:53 left in the opening stanza, but the Highlanders responded with an 11-3 run capped by a Cooks layup that made it a 38-20 game at the 1:56 mark.
 
Lipscomb made four free throws over the final two minutes and NJIT took a 38-24 lead into the locker room.
 
The Highlanders shot 49.2% (30-of-61) from the floor and 8-of-26 (30.8%) from beyond the arc, while the Bison shot 46.4% (26-of-56) from the field and 5-of-13 (38.5%) from deep.
 
NJIT will be back in action on Monday night when Kennesaw State (6-16, 2-5 ASUN) comes to the WEC for a 7 p.m. tip. The game can be seen on ESPN3.
 

Write-up courtesy of Joe Fitzhenry