The Sports Xchange
Dec 7, 2017
Rutgers won its sixth consecutive game against NJIT, getting 18 points from Corey Sanders in a 73-64 victory at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, N.J., on Thursday.
It was the first meeting between the New Jersey schools since 2011.
Deshawn Freeman contributed 13 points and Eugene Omoruyi added 11 for Rutgers (7-3).
Anthony Tarke had 19 points, 12 rebounds and four steals for NJIT (5-4). Abdul Lewis added 14 points.
Rutgers maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half, leading by as much as 61-44 with 8:58 to play, but NJIT whittled that lead down to 69-61 with 1:21 left. Rutgers went the last 4:35 without a field goal.
The Scarlet Knights used a 12-2 burst to pull ahead 56-42 with 10:16 to play. Omoruyi scored six straight points in the sequence on a dunk, a layup and a tip-in. The Highlanders made only one of their 15 shots in that span.
After going 2:01 without a basket, Rutgers closed the half by connecting on four of its last shots for a 33-32 edge at the break. NJIT scored 14 points off 11 Scarlet Knights turnovers.
Tarke was 6-of-12 for 13 points in the half.
The Scarlet Knights grabbed their first lead at 15-14 with 9:30 left in the half on a jumper from Sanders. That extended to 18-16 on a 3-pointer from Issa Thiam.
NJIT opened on a 9-2 run, with Tarke responsible for six of those points.