January 12, 2006

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Holding a second straight opponent to just 46 points, the New Jersey Institute of Technology women's basketball team won a defensive struggle,  topping Philadelphia University, 49-46, Thursday night.

The Highlanders raised their record to 8-4 overall and 6-3 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Philadelphia, a week removed from the 500th career victory for its head coach, Tom Shirley, had its three-game winning streak halted with the loss to NJIT. The end of the Lady Rams' streak left them with a 7-4 mark overall, including 5-3 in the CACC.

The win was the first in nine all-time tries for NJIT against Philadelphia, which is in its first year in the CACC after many years in the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The teams last met on March 11, 2005, in the first round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II Tournament. Making its first-ever women's basketball postseason appearance, NJIT fell short, 63-56, in that game at Philadelphia last March.

On Thursday night, the combination of senior post players Selena Kershaw and Emese Gyuricza provided the lion's share of the Highlander offense. Gyuricza, who comes off the bench, registered a game-high 16 points, while Kershaw added 12 points, as NJIT's only other double-figure scorer.

Gyuricza, who scored a career-high 21 points in Tuesday's home win for Wilmington, made seven of her eight shots against Philadelphia, following up on 10-for-14 vs. Wilmington. Kershaw, the starting center, shot 6-for-12 against the Lady Rams.

Versatile junior forward Aine O'Dwyer led NJIT in rebounds (10), assists (7) and steals (4).

Philadelphia's top scorer was junior guard Kate McNulty, with 11 points. Junior forward Meg Abele, who was an all-conference player last season at Division I Iona, added 10 points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for Philadelphia.

NJIT's Gyuricza scored 12 of her game-high 16 points in the second half, connecting on all five of her shots from the field and making two of three free throws after the halftime break.

Neither team shot well in a first half that was tied, 15-15, after 20 minutes. Philadelphia shot just 19 percent from the field (6-32) and NJIT wasn't a whole lot better, at 24 percent (7-29). Kershaw's 6 points led NJIT, while McNulty had 7 points for the Lady Rams. McNulty shot 3-for-4, while the rest of the team was 3-for-28 in the half.

Both teams picked up their offense in the second half and NJIT claimed the win by outscoring the home team, 34-31, after halftime. The Highlanders shot better than 50 percent from the field, making 14 of 26 second-half shots. Philadelphia was 12-for-28 in a second half that was close throughout.

NJIT is off until next Tuesday, January 17 at 6 pm, when it hosts Felician in the first half of a CACC doubleheader, which includes a men's game between the same two schools at 8 pm in the Fleisher Athletic Center.