NEWARK, NJ - The NJIT men's basketball team hits the road for another America East Conference matchup at Binghamton on Wednesday.
Game Information
Tip-off is slated for 7pm inside the Events Center in Vestal, NY. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Highlander Highlights
* Wednesday's game is the 25th 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.
* NJIT is 4-7 in America East action and five of the 11 games have come down to the final possesion of regulation. Three games needed an overtime period to decide the winner.
* One of the OT games took place against Binghamton on 1/11 in Newark. Raheim Sullivan hit a three-pointer to tie the game at the buzzer and force OT, but Dan Petcash's late three-pointer in OT turned a two-point NJIT lead into a one-point Binghamton victory.
* Another one of those close games was played on 1/25 in Newark, as NJIT held off UMBC 69-65 thanks to a late driving layup from Mekhi Gray and a pair of clutch free throws from Adam Hess.
* Kevin Osawe leads NJIT with seven double-double this season, which ranks tied for second this season in the America East. Last time out at UMBC, Osawe scored 12 points and pulled down a game-high 14 boards.
* Wednesday's game vs. Maine will be Souleymane Diakite's 115th as a Highlander.
* Adam Hess leads the America East in 3FG%, knocking down 43.9% this season (47-for-107).Hess has drained three or more three-pointers in nine games this season
* 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.
Last Time Out: NJIT 65, Maine 50 | Sat. 2/11 in Newark, NJ
Kjell de Graaf got the offense going early and Kevin Osawe took over early in the second half to help lead the NJIT men's basketball team to a 65-50 victory over visiting Maine on Saturday afternoon at the Wellness and Events Center.
Osawe and de Graaf scored 14 and 13 points respectively, while each grabbing eight boards, to pace five Highlanders in double figures as NJIT clinched the season sweep of the Black Bears. It took overtime for the Highlanders to defeat Maine back in early January, but NJIT left no doubt in this one as it led by as many as 27 midway through the second half.
The 50 points allowed marks the best defensive performance for the Highlanders this season. Maine had just 40 points with four minutes to play, but scored 10 over the final few minutes to get to the 50-point plateau.
NJIT vs...Binghamton
NJIT and Binghamton will meet for the eighth time on Wednesday, with the Bearcats carrying a 5-2 advantage into the game. As conference opponents, NJIT is 1-4 against Binghamton, as it fell earlier this season in overtime to the Bearcats, dropped both games in 2020-21 and the teams split last season.
All seven meetings have been won by the visiting team. .
NJIT vs. the America East
The Highlanders are 31-54 all-time vs. America East foes. NJIT is 16-29 in conference play as a member of the America East.
Like Fine Wine
NJIT will feature one of the oldest rosters in the country this season as the team's average age on opening night is 22.7 years old. Kevin Osawe and Adam Hess both turned 24 prior to the season, while Souleymane Diakite, Kjell de Graaf, Justin Anderson, Raheim Sullivan, and Miles Coleman are all 23.
AE Players of the Week
12/19/22 - Kevin Osawe
1/9/23 - Miles Coleman
Up Next
The Highlanders return home on Saturday to host first-place Vermont in Newark. Tip-off is slated for 7pm in the Wellness and Events Center on the NJIT campus.
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.
