Preview: Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks at NJIT Highlanders NEWARK, N.J. (Interstat) — NJIT looks to complete a regular-season sweep and solidify its position in the America East Conference standings when it hosts Massachusetts-Lowell on Thursday night at Fleisher Athletic Center. The Highlanders (11-12, 4-4 America East) edged the River Hawks (9-14, 3-5) 73-64 in Lowell just three weeks ago on Jan. 15. That victory is part of a recent surge for NJIT, which has won three of its last four games, including a notable 79-77 road win at Vermont last Saturday. David Bolden keyed that victory with 16 points, six rebounds and seven assists, continuing his strong playmaking form. Over his last five games, Bolden is averaging 14.6 points and 4.4 assists. Massachusetts-Lowell arrives with momentum from its highest-scoring output in conference play, a 91-77 home win over Maine on Saturday. The River Hawks are led by dynamic guard Angel Montas, who erupted for 30 points and eight rebounds in that victory. Montas, who scored 22 in the first meeting with NJIT, has been on a tear, averaging 21.4 points over his last seven contests. The matchup features two teams heading in opposite directions within the league. NJIT sits in a tie for fifth place, while UMass-Lowell is tied for eighth in the 10-team conference. Both teams have struggled on the road this season, making NJIT’s home-court advantage a potential factor. The Highlanders are 7-4 at Fleisher Athletic Center. For UMass-Lowell, containing Bolden and improving its defensive consistency will be critical after allowing 79 points per game in its last three losses. NJIT will aim to counter Montas’ scoring punch and leverage its balanced attack, which saw Sebastian Robinson (22 points) and Ari Fulton (15 points, 11 rebounds) join Bolden in double figures against Vermont. Thursday’s result will carry weight for the conference tournament seeding with just over a month remaining in the regular season. Following this game, NJIT hosts Binghamton on Saturday, while UMass-Lowell travels to Albany. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.