NEWARK, N.J. – Akeem Johnson scored on a layup with 5 seconds left to give St. Francis (N.Y.) a dramatic 89-87 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology on Sunday in a nonconference thriller.
The Terriers (4-7) thwarted a furious comeback by NJIT (6-7). With 9:22 left to play, St. Francis held a seemingly comfortable 76-53 lead.
But the Highlanders scored 61 points in the second half. They rallied behind Ryan Woods, who led NJIT with 19 points, Chris Flores (16) and P.J. Miller. The last of Miller's 14 points came on a 3-point play that tied it at 87-87 with 26 seconds left. Miller was fouled by Johnson, who soon atoned for his personal.
Johnson's driving layup was the game-winner. When Miller missed a 3-point prayer, St. Francis could exhale.
For the Terriers, Jalen Cannon led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Ben Mockford added 15 points.
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