O'Hearn's Record 42 Points Carry NJIT to Come From Behind, 2OT Win at Lafayette

Dylan O'Hearn scored a Division I program-record 42 points, including 36 after halftime, to help lead the NJIT men's basketball team to a come-from-behind 90-86 victory in double overtime against host Lafayette on Sunday afternoon.

Fifteen of O'Hearn's points came during the two overtime periods as the senior was the only NJIT player to score after regulation.

The victory was the third in a row for the Highlanders, who are now 5-3 on the season, while Lafayette fell to 2-6 on the season. NJIT's three-game winning streak is its first since January of 2019.

The Leopards led by a game-high 16 points with just over 12 minutes to play in the second half and then led by 14, 69-55, with 6:30 to play before O'Hearn took the game over. O'Hearn hit four three-pointers in the final six minutes of regulation as the NJIT defense beared down and got the stops it needed on the other end. 

O'Hearn's fourth triple of the sequence cut the Lafayette lead to just one, 72-71, with 1:28 to play. The Leopards made a pair of free throws to go back ahead by three, before O'Hearn was able to get in the paint and make a tough layup to cut the margin back to one.

After Lafayette went 1-of-2 from the foul line, the Highlanders trailed by two with 17 seconds to play. Senior Antwuan Butler went hard to the basket and was fouled to earn a pair of free throws and give NJIT a chance to tie the game for the first time since it was 0-0.

Butler drained both foul shots with 2.7 second to play to do just that and a desperation heave from Lafayette at the buzzer was no good so the teams went to overtime tied at 75-75.

Neither team could get anything going offensively in the first overtime and an O'Hearn three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out to cause double overtime. 

O'Hearn opened the second overtime with another tough layup, which was immediately answered by the The Leopards. The Highlanders came back down the floor and O'Hearn was able to do it again to give his team an 83-81 lead with 3:25 on the clock.

The hosts were able to tie the game once again, and O'Hearn, once again put NJIT back in front with another three-pointer, his fifth of the contest. That lead was also short-lived as the Leopards made their 16th triple of the game with 44 seconds left to tie it for the fourth time in double overtime. 

O'Hearn was fouled going to the basket with 29 seconds to play and drained both free throws to give the Highlanders an 88-86 lead, one they wouldn't relinquish. O'Hearn then made one of the bigger plays of the game on the other end of the floor, generating a Lafayette turnover with a steal in the final seconds. The WIndsor, ON, native sank two more free throws to clinch the victory. O'Hearn finished the game 13-of-15 from the foul line.

Mekhi Gray (11 points) and Matt Faw (10 points) joined O'Hearn in double figures, while Kjell de Graaf played his best game of the young season, scoring eight points in 35 minutes of action.

Faw just missed a double-double, also leading NJIT in rebounds with nine. O'Hearn, who played all 50 minutes in the win, also grabbed seven rebounds, as did James Lee.

The Highlanders will look to make it four straight on Friday when they welcome Army West Point to Newark. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in the Wellness and Events Center.