NEWARK, NJ– The NJIT men's basketball team hits the road for the first time in America East Conference action on Sunday when they travel north for a matchup with Maine. 

Game Information
Tip-off is slated for 2pm inside the Memorial Gymnasium at The Pit. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with Brian Stackpole and Sandy Thomas on the call. 

Last Time Out: UMass Lowell 67, NJIT 64| Sat. 12/31 in Newark, NJ
 UMass Lowell scored the final 13 points of Saturday's America East men's basketball contest to turn a 10 point deficit into a three-point victory, defeating host NJIT 67-64 on Saturday afternoon at the Wellness and Events Center. 

A layup from Paul McMillan IV with just under four minutes to play put the Highlanders ahead 64-54, their largest lead of the game.

The Riverhawks came out of the under-four-minute media timeout and hit a free throw followed immediately by a steal and a layup to cut the margin to seven. A flagrant foul on the next possession gave UMass Lowell two free throws, which were both converted, and the ball, which turned into another basket and made it a three-point game with 2:31 to play.

UML cut the NJIT lead to 64-63 with 1:38 on the clock and took the lead with a layup with just 26 seconds to play. After an NJIT miss, the Riverhawks hit a pair of free throws and Miles Coleman's potential game-tying three-point attempt rimmed out to give the visitors a three-point victory and improved their record to 13-2 on the season. 

NJIT vs...Maine
NJIT and Maine will meet for the 11th time on Sunday, with the Highlanders carrying a 6-4 advantage into the game. As conference opponents, the squads are 2-2 splitting a pair of matchups in Newark in the 2020-21 season and a home-and-home last season when each team won on its home court. The series began in December, 2006 when Maine defeated NJIT 68-58 in Newark.

NJIT vs. the America East
The Highlanders are 27-48 all-time vs. America East foes. NJIT is 12-23 in conference play as a member of the America East. 

Kevin Osawe - AE Player of the Week
Kevin Osawe was honored for his 16-point, 13-rebound performance in Sunday's victory over Niagara. Osawe is the first Highlander to recieve a weekly award this season.

Highlander Highlights
*    Sunday's game is the 15th of the 2022-23 season -- which marks NJIT's 17th participating in Division I, third as a member of the America East and sixth in the Wellness & Events Center (WEC).
*    The eight-day layoff is NJIT's longest of the 2022-23 season.
*    Kevin Osawe came off the bench to record career-highs of 21 points and 17 rebounds last Tuesday as the Highlanders defeated Saint Elizabeth 79-51 to improve to 32-0 against non-Division I opponents. Osawe also played a big role in NJIT's other home win, a 62-53 victory over Niagara where he was honored as America East Player of the Week for his 16-point, 13-rebounds performance. 
*    The 85 points at Sacred Heart were the most by an NJIT team in regulation since it scored 90 vs. Wagner on Nov. 16, 2019. The Highlanders scored 90 last season in a 2OT W at Lafayette.
*    Souleymane Diakite played in his 100th career game at Army West Point. He and and Kjell de Graaf are both in their fifth seasons with the Highlanders. Da'mir Faison is the next most-tenured Highlander as he is in his fourth season with the program. Miles Coleman played in his 50th career game in an NJIT uniform against Saint Elizabeth. 
*    Six of NJIT's 14 players have completed their undergraduate degrees and are working towards their Master's. Souleymane Diakite and Kjell de Graaf graduated from NJIT last May, while Justin Anderson (Bloomsburg), Adam Hess (E. New Mexico St.), Kevin Osawe (Arkansas-Little Rock), and Raheim Sullivan (Marist) come to NJIT from other institutions.
*    Five NJIT players are averaging 7+ ppg, with Coleman (14.3), Osawe (9.1), and Hess (8.9) leading the way. Osawe ranks fourth in the America East at 7.6 rpg.

Up Next
The Highlanders will return to Newark for a pair of games next week as they take on Binghamton on Wednesday (7pm) and UAlbany on Saturday (7pm). Both contests will take place at the Wellness and Events Center on the campus of NJIT.

​​Stay Connected
Stay up to date during the NJIT Men's Basketball season by following @NJITMBB on Twitter and Instagram and liking the NJIT Men's Basketball page on Facebook.