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CHICAGO – Senior forward
Jeremy Robinson (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower/Iowa Western CC) led the Chicago State University men's basketball squad with game-highs of 20 points and five blocks, but NJIT proved to be too much in the second half as the Cougars fell 63-58 at the Jones Convocation Center on Saturday (Feb. 9) evening.
Chicago State trailed at the end of the first half 35-26, but crawled back into the game behind a 12-2 run which tied the contest at 37 with 15:21 left in the game. The teams continued to trade baskets with neither giving the other any breathing room until NJIT's Chris Flores nailed a 3-pointer that gave NJIT a 55-53 advantage and the lead for good with 4:30 left. It was part of a 12-0 NJIT run that allowed the Highlanders to take control of the game.
“It came down at the end where it was about making plays and when you play an experienced team like that, their seniors made plays at the end,” Chicago State head coach
Tracy Dildy said. “They made one-on-one plays.”
Chicago State still had a chance with 28 seconds remaining and down 63-55. After a Cougars foul, NJIT's PJ Miller made his first free throw, but missed the second. Junior
Corey Gray (Houston, Texas/Hightower) (Houston, Texas/Hightower/UIC) knocked down a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left on the other end to cut the deficit to five.
When the Cougars got the ball again, Gray fired another 3-pointer that would've cut the deficit to 63-61, but his shot deflected off the front iron and was rebounded by PJ Miller as NJIT dribbled out the final seconds to sweep the regular season series. Chicago State fell to NJIT in Newark, New Jersey back on Jan. 12 in a triple-overtime thriller, 83-78.
“We fought but I wasn't pleased with what we did in the first half,” Dildy said. “They killed us on the boards and you can't win like that. I think rebounding is hustle and in the first half they had us 25-10 in rebounds and you can't win games like that.”
NJIT finished the game with a 38-28 rebounding advantage. The Highlanders also held a key edge in free throw attempts. NJIT made 18-of-32 while Chicago State made 4-of-6.
Robinson's 20-point effort was a season-high for the 2012 Great West Conference Newcomer of the Year, and his five blocks set a new career-high. Junior
Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg/Missouri State-West Plains CC) added 18 points for the Cougars, and Flores led the way for NJIT with 16 points.
Chicago State falls to 2-3 inside the GWC and 7-17 overall, while NJIT improved to 13-11 overall and 4-1 in the GWC. Chicago State will look to improve their home record when they welcome Urbana (Ohio) to the Jones Convocation Center on Feb. 16 at 2:05 p.m.
