BURLINGTON, Vt. (Interstat) — The Vermont Catamounts will look to protect their home court and solidify their standing in the America East Conference when they host the NJIT Highlanders on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium.

Vermont (13-8 overall) enters the matchup with momentum, having won five of its last six games. The Catamounts are coming off a 62-52 road victory at Bryant last Saturday, led by a standout performance from guard TJ Hurley. The junior has been on a scoring tear, averaging 18.8 points over his last six contests, including a 30-point outing at UMass Lowell on Jan. 22 and 26 points in the win over Bryant.

NJIT (9-12) seeks to rebound from a 74-87 loss at Maryland-Baltimore County on Jan. 22. The Highlanders have shown flashes, winning three of their previous five games before the UMBC defeat. Their offense runs through dynamic guard Sebastian Robinson, who has scored 19 or more points in five of his last seven games. Robinson is averaging 21.0 points per game over that stretch, including a 22-point, 7-rebound effort in a 79-55 rout of Bryant on Jan. 19.

The matchup pits two of the league’s top scorers against each other in Hurley and Robinson. Vermont will rely on its recent defensive form, having held opponents under 70 points in three straight wins, to contain NJIT’s primary threat. The Catamounts have also shown balance, with forward Gus Yalden adding 14 points in the win at Bryant.

For NJIT, finding consistent support for Robinson will be critical. Melvyn Ebonkoli, who had 17 points against UMBC, is a key secondary option. The Highlanders must improve defensively after allowing 87 points in their last outing to challenge a Vermont team averaging 77 points in its last two victories.

This contest is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams, with the rematch scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, at NJIT. Vermont holds the superior conference record and will aim to use its home-court advantage to create separation in the league standings, while NJIT looks to spring a road upset and climb toward .500. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. EST.