Jan. 3, 2008

Box Score

NEWARK - Columbia dominated the first half and never let NJIT get closer than 16 points in the second half, as the visiting Lions took a 64-48 women's basketball decision from the Highlanders Thursday night in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

Columbia had just one double-figure scorer--sophomore guard Danielle Browne with 14 points--but the balanced Lions had seven different players with at least six points.

Sophomore forward Chelsea Frazier scored eight points and shared game rebounding honors with nine, as the Lions won the battle on the boards, 53-41. Diminutive point guard Sara Yee added a career-high eight rebounds, including five on the offensive end.

NJIT got a game-high and personal season-best 16 points from senior guard Erika Velez, who shot 7-for-9 from the field. Freshman point guard Adriana Johnson added 10 points for the Highlanders.

Rookie center Maya Al-Shingieti led the Highlanders on the boards with nine. Along with her career-high 11 rebounds against Davidson on December 29, Al-Shingieti has 20 in her last two games. Kehinde Oyelola collected eight rebounds for NJIT.

Columbia jumped to an early double-digit lead, 15-4, on Browne's jump shot 5:24 into the contest. Later, the Lions swelled their first-half lead to 21 points, 33-12, outscoring the Highlanders, 11-2, from 9:49 to the 2:22 mark.

The Lions led at the half, 35-16, topped by Browne's nine points at the break. Each team took 29 first-half shots, but Columbia made 13 (45 percent), while NJIT made six overall and shot 0-for-14 on three-point tries.

NJIT outscored the visitors in the second half, 32-29, but much of that advantage came when the Highlanders scored the game's last seven points over the closing 1:58.

The 16-point deficit at the end matched the Highlanders' closest score of the second half. Down 19 at halftime, NJIT scored the first three points of the second half on a Keri Washington free throw and later a layup by Velez at 18:09, making it 35-19, but Columbia went on a 14-5 run over the next 5:50 to put the win on ice.

NJIT is off nearly a week before returning to action on January 9 at Texas-Pan American. The Highlanders will remain in Edinburg, TX, to play Cal State-Bakersfield on January 11 in a neutral site game at Texas-Pan American.