HOUSTON – After Houston Baptist took a five-point lead late, the New Jersey Institute of Technology outscored the Huskies 14-3 over the final 3:35 to escape with a 72-66 victory in Great West Conference basketball Thursday night at Sharp Gym.

Senior guard Andrew Gonzalez scored a game-high 29 points and led HBU (3-22, 2-7 GWC) with eight rebounds. Gonzalez has scored 20 or more points in eight straight games and in all nine conference contests. Junior forward Terry Bembry added 10 points and four rebounds off the bench, while senior guard Michael Moss had five points, five rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals, which extended his streak to 26 straight games with at least one steal.

Chris Flores led NJIT (12-12, 6-1) with 28 points, hitting 8-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line and also grabbed eight rebounds. Isaiah Wilkerson added 16 points and seven rebounds for he Highlanders.

The Huskies jumped out to a nine-point lead at 20-11 with 11:30 to go in the first half, but the Highlanders chipped away and used an 11-0 run to take a 36-31 lead with 1:10 remaining. Gonzalez was fouled on a 3-point attempt at the buzzer and hit 2-of-3 from the line as the Huskies trailed, 37-35, going into the break.

HBU tied the game on the first possession of the second half and took a 44-40 lead at the 17:14 mark, but NJIT retook the lead on a Flores trey, 47-46, with 13:56 to go. Neither team could break away from the other as there were six ties and eight lead changes in the second half, until the Highlanders made their run at the end of the game.

NJIT shot 43.8 percent from the field and 39.1 percent (9-of-23) from behind the arc. HBU shot 42.2 percent from the field, but only 30.0 percent (6-of-20) from long range. The Highlanders hit 21-of-33 from the free-throw line, while the Huskies made 22-of-30. NJIT outrebounded HBU, 38-27, and grabbed 14 offensive boards.