After 51 Straight Defeats, Finally a Victory

NJ Highlanders and fans take their NCAA woes in stride

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 23, 2009 2:03 PM CST

(Newser) – After an NCAA record 51-game losing streak, the New Jersey Institute of Technology basketball team finally eked out a win this week. One of the scores of schools who joined the NCAA's top division a few years back thinking "why not us?," NJIT soon answered that question unequivocally: "We don't score enough points," the head coach told the Wall Street Journal.

The Highlanders don't have a lot of fans, aren't turning a profit for the school, and sometimes can't even beat their own second stringers in practice games. But being abysmal (6-77 in Division I) has brought the team much more attention than simply being bad would (ever heard of Furman U?). And NJIT has scholarships to help lure strong-souled recruits.

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NJIT's Justin Garris and Dan Stonkus try to block a shot by Rutgers' Mike Coburn during a game in 2007. (AP Photo)

After Gonzaga joined Division I and started upsetting the old NCAA favorites, lots of teams like NJIT though, "why not us?" (AP Photo/Dean Hare)

New Jersey Institute of Technology's Justin Garris, left, and Dan Stonkus, center, try to block a shot by Rutgers' Mike Coburn during a game last month. (AP Photo)

Coach Jim Engles speaks at a news conference at New Jersey Institute of Technology when he took over in April. (AP Photo/Mike Derer)

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Every time people compare our basketball to the academics, they always talk about how strong we are academically. These poor kids are taking one for the team. - Baker Assaf, a senior majoring in electrical engineering at NJIT, on the hapless Highlanders

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After 51 Straight Defeats, Finally a Victory