Things Could be Worse...How does Tim O'Shea Feel Now

[Zips Win!]

NJIT Breaks Through with 61-51 Win Over BryantJheryl Wilson (26 points) leads the way as Highlanders halt losing streak NEWARK, NJ—Sophomore guard Jheryl Wilson scored 26 points, including 20 in the first half, for NJIT, as the Highlanders defeated visiting Bryant, 61-51, Wednesday night to halt a 51-game losing streak.The Highlanders, who last won on February 19, 2007 (78-74 at Longwood), never trailed by more than three points and took the lead for good when Wilson hit a jump shot to make it 12-10 for NJIT with 13:02 left in the first half of Wednesday’s game against fellow Division I Independent Bryant.In addition to Wilson’s career-best 26 points, the Highlanders got 14 points from freshman guard Isaiah Wilkerson and a double-double from junior captain Gary Garris, who notched 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.The visiting Bulldogs got 21 points from senior guard Peter Lambert, who took all of his shots from three-point distance, making 6-of-10, plus 3-for-3 on free throws. Junior Cecil Gresham was the only other double-figure scorer for Bryant, finishing with 10 points—eight from the foul line. He added seven rebounds, while junior Chris Burrell was Bryant’s top rebounder, with eight. Wilson, whose previous career scoring high was 16, which he had done three times, including twice this season, was the key player in the first half. He scored 20 points, shooting 7-for-9 from the field, including 4-for-5 on three-pointers, plus 2-for-2 at the foul line. With Wilson leading the way, the Highlanders forged a 31-15 halftime lead, as Bryant managed just six field goals in the half, shooting 6-for-23.Lambert opened the second half with a three-pointer for the visitors, but NJIT kept its lead in double figures until Bryant’s Gresham made a pair of free throws at the 5:05 mark that trimmed the Highlanders’ advantage to 46-37.Gresham made two more free throws to draw the Bulldogs to within seven, 50-43, with 2:37 left, but NJIT’s Wilkerson scored on a driving layup just nine seconds later and then hit a pair of free throws with 1:40 left to put the Highlanders back up by 11, 54-43.Lambert later made another three-pointer to get Bryant back to within seven points again, with 38 seconds left. But the Bulldogs got no closer, as Teddy Schickel hit a couple of free throws and then made a steal and passed ahead to Wilkerson, who dunked to put an exclamation point on the NJIT win.The Highlanders will visit Longwood in Farmville, VA, on Saturday in a 2 pm start.NJIT’s streak had covered parts of three seasons—the last four games of the 2006-07 season; all 29 games in 2007-08; and, the first 18 games this season.

[Zipmeister]

I look for NJIT to extend their win steak to 2 with a 14 point win over Longwood this weekend.