Fulton’s last-second basket gives NJIT its first America East tournament win

By Joe Budzelek (@JBudzelek)

NEWARK, N.J. — For the first time in program history, NJIT hosted an America East tournament game on Saturday afternoon at the Wellness and Events Center — and the Highlanders made sure the moment counted.

Behind a gritty defensive effort and late-game execution, third-seeded NJIT held off sixth-seeded Maine, 60–57, in front of a crowd of 1,297 to advance to the America East semifinals. The Highlanders will travel to Vermont on Tuesday to meet the No. 2 seed Catamounts.

The atmosphere steadily built throughout the afternoon, with the crowd swelling each time NJIT’s defense locked in. With the Highlanders sporting “Legacy on Lock” shirts in the pregame, NJIT delivered a performance fitting the occasion — it’s first conference tournament home game since hosting a first-round matchup in the 2018 Atlantic Sun tournament.

For head coach Grant Billmeier, the win marked another milestone in a rebuilding process that began two seasons ago after NJIT endured back-to-back 3-13 last-place finishes in America East play.

The foundation of that rebuild has been continuity. All but one player in Saturday’s rotation — Melvyn Ebonkoli — were developed within Billmeier’s program, including junior guard Sebastian Robinson, who has been with the coach since the start of his tenure. Robinson led the Highlanders in scoring for the seventh straight game, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting.

A New Jersey native and Seton Hall alum, Billmeier has leaned heavily on local ties while reshaping the roster. Half of NJIT’s rotation hails from New Jersey, led by Robinson, the Highlanders’ leading scorer and a second team all-America East selection. That familiarity helped steady NJIT in a tightly contested, physical game from the opening tip.

The Highlanders set the tone defensively early, building a 19–17 lead midway through the first half. NJIT controlled the glass and forced turnovers, but Maine stayed within striking distance thanks to efficient three-point shooting.

A tense moment arrived late in the half when Maine center TJ Biel took a hard fall while attempting a tip-in that trimmed NJIT’s lead to 30–26. Biel, who had missed the previous two games with an injury, remained on the floor for several minutes before walking off under his own power. He later returned to the bench in the second half with his arm in a sling.

NJIT carried a 32–29 lead into halftime in a game defined by physical defense, as both teams shot under 43 percent and combined for 18 turnovers. Offensively, the Highlanders leaned on their backcourt tandem of Robinson and freshman David Bolden, who combined for 21 of NJIT’s first-half points.

But early in the second half, Maine seized momentum. The Black Bears strung together a 14–5 run that silenced the crowd and briefly flipped the game. The drought lasted more than eight minutes before Quentin Duncan buried a three-pointer to cut Maine’s lead to one. Off the bench, Duncan’s trio of threes proved to be a key spark for NJIT’s secondary scoring.

Moments later, Ari Fulton ignited the building.

The sophomore guard raced coast-to-coast for a breakaway layup to reclaim the lead, and the roar inside the WEC only grew louder when Robinson immediately followed with a defensive rebound and a coast-to-coast finish of his own.

With 7:59 remaining, NJIT led 46–45 in a game that had turned into a possession-by-possession battle.

The final minutes only intensified the drama. A David Bolden three-pointer with 2:32 remaining gave the Highlanders the lead for the fifth time in the game. The freshman finished with 12 points, four assists and three steals while delivering a strong two-way performance.

Then Fulton delivered the finishing touches.

The sophomore scored the final six points for NJIT, answering each Maine attempt to tie the game. His final basket — a mid-range jumper in the closing seconds — proved to be the game-winner.

The play itself carried a deeper meaning for Billmeier.

“I told Sebastian, get the ball and go make a play, whether that was him taking the final shot or him passing the ball,” Billmeier said. “They put a lot of people on him. I think they knew the ball was going to be in his hands and they weren't letting him get the final shot.”

“It’s a play we worked on all year, but we haven’t run it since 2018, when I was an assistant at Seton Hall. We played Butler in the Big East quarterfinals and they ran that play and sent us home. So it’s ironic that the same play I stole from them helped us win today.”

For Robinson, the victory represented the payoff for years of perseverance.

“It’s definitely been a struggle, an uphill battle,” Robinson said. “Coach has challenged me every day since I’ve been here. We’ve bumped heads, but we stayed together. He has a lot of belief in me, so staying here was a great choice for me.”

Billmeier said Robinson’s competitive drive helped carry the program through the difficult rebuilding years.

“Losing really bothers Sebastian as much as any player I’ve ever been around,” Billmeier said. “Even guys that went on to the NBA — he wants to win as badly as anyone. Every single practice, every workout, every game, you know what you’re going to get out of him.”

“For him to make it through the tough times, come back as a junior, and get this win in front of his family in his hometown — I was extremely happy for all the guys, but especially for a local kid who battled through adversity.”

With the victory, NJIT keeps its postseason run alive and now turns its attention to Vermont, where the Highlanders will look to extend their season in Tuesday’s America East semifinal.