NEWARK, NJ — NJIT senior Damon Lynn and freshman Anthony Tarke both received conference honors as the ASUN announced its 2017 Postseason Awards on Sunday. Despite missing the last nine games to injury, Lynn was named Second Team All-Conference, while Tarke was selected to the All-Freshman Team.
Damon Lynn, who was a First Team All-Conference selection last year, was an ASUN Player of the Year candidate before rupturing his right Achillies on Jan. 21 at Florida Gulf Coast. At the time of his injury, the Hillside, N.J., native was the Division-I active career scoring leader with 2,153 points (now ranks fourth). He was also leading the ASUN in three-pointers made (85), three-pointers per game (4.0) and free-throw percentage (.868); while ranking second in steals per game (1.9); third in both points (20.6) and minutes (34.2) per game; and eighth in assists per game (3.4). Lynn led NJIT in scoring in 15 of his 21 games this season, tallying at least 20 points in 12 affairs and at least 30 in another three.
The co-captain remains the D-I active career leader in three-pointers made at 434 — which ranks fifth in NCAA history. Earlier this season, he passed Davidson legend Steph Curry (414) to move into eighth place. He was also on pace to pass Duke legend J.J. Redick (457) for second place all-time before his career came to the abrupt end.
Lynn’s senior season got off to a great start with many milestones — starting with the opener on Nov. 11, when he passed Chris Flores (1,734 points) to become NJIT’s all-time D-I career scoring leader. In the second game of the year, he tied his own program single-game record with 34 points on Nov. 14 at Utah State. He then reached the 2,000-point plateau on Dec. 17 at Temple and later broke the school’s all-time career scoring record at all levels when he passed Clarence Pierce ’96 (2,028) at Fleisher Athletic Center on Dec. 22.
More than just a scorer, Lynn was on pace to become both NJIT’s career assists and steals leader. Prior to the injury, he had started all 118 of NJIT’s games during his career — playing 89-percent of all possible minutes (4,225 of 4,745), despite a stress fracture in his left foot in 2014-15 and plantar fasciitis in his right foot in 2015-16.
Two years into NJIT’s participation in the ASUN, Lynn is the only Highlander to make the postseason All-Conference Team — an accolade he recorded in both seasons.
Anthony Tarke has posted one of the top freshman seasons in NJIT history.
It started in the opener on Nov. 11, when he became the first-ever Highlander to record a double-double in his NCAA debut (13 points, 10 rebounds) — and ended scoring a team-high 18 in NJIT’s 17-point, come-from-behind victory over USC Upstate on Feb. 23.
Tarke finished the regular season with 286 points, the most by an NJIT freshman since Damon Lynn‘s 500 in 2013-14. The Gaithersburg, Md. native averaged 9.5 ppg overall and 12.5 ppg in ASUN games, which led all freshmen in conference play. For the season, he ranked seventh in the ASUN in field-goal percentage (.523) and, on a per-game basis, finished ninth in steals (1.1), 11th in offensive rebounds (1.6), tied for 17th in blocks (0.4), 19th in rebounds (4.6) and 26th in points (9.5). Among freshman, he ranked fourth in ppg and second in FG%, rpg and spg.
After being moved into the starting lineup on Feb. 4, Tarke came on strong the last six games — averaging 16.7 ppg and 6.2 rpg. He also led the Highlanders in scoring the last two games (both wins) and in three of the final five contests. He finished with three double-doubles — two in conference play (in wins over North Florida and Stetson) — and with a pair of ASUN Newcomer of the Week Awards (Jan. 16; Feb. 24).
Not fearful of a big stage, Tarke averaged 10.0 ppg on .533 shooting (8-for-15) and 4.5 rpg in just 15.5 mpg against two BIG 10 foes (at #1 Purdue, at Minnesota) in the first month of his NCAA career.
Tarke becomes the first Highlander to be named to the ASUN All-Freshman Team.
All ASUN postseason award winners appear below ( * Denotes unanimous selection):
Player of the Year: Dallas Moore, North Florida
Defensive Player of the Year: Demetris Morant, FGCU
*Newcomer of the Year: Brandon Goodwin, FGCU
*Freshman of the Year: Wajid Aminu, North Florida
Coach of the Year: Joe Dooley, FGCU
ASUN First Team All-Conference:
*Dallas Moore, North Florida, Guard, Sr.
*Garrison Mathews, Lipscomb, Guard, So.
Brandon Goodwin, FGCU, Guard, Jr.
Kendrick Ray, Kennesaw State, Guard, Sr.
Michael Buchanan, USC Upstate, Center, Sr.
ASUN Second Team All-Conference
J.R. Holder, Jacksonville, Guard, Sr.
Aubrey Williams, Kennesaw State, Forward, Sr.
Rob Marberry, Lipscomb, Center, So.
Damon Lynn, NJIT, Guard, Sr.
Derick Newton, Stetson, Forward, So.
ASUN Conference All-Freshmen Team
Wajid Aminu, North Florida, Forward
Garrett Sams, North Florida, Guard
Anthony Tarke, NJIT, Guard/Forward
Tanner Rubio, Jacksonville, Guard
James Scott, Kennesaw State, Guard
The Highlanders next begin play in the ASUN Tournament with a trip to the Big Dance at stake for the tournament winner. NJIT (11-19, 3-11) received the No. 7 seed and will open at No. 2 Lipscomb (19-12, 11-3) on Monday night at Allen Arena in Nashville. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. (CT).