Box Score
ORONO, ME -- NJIT defeated host Maine, 68-60, picking up its first win of the season in the consolation game of the 16th Annual Dead River Company Classic Saturday afternoon at Alfond Arena on the campus of the University of Maine
West Virginia and Brown are set to play in the championship game at 4pm.
Sophomore guard Jessica Gerald scored a game-high 26 points recording her fifth straight double-figure game. Gerald's 26 points is a season-high. She scored 14 of her 26 points from the free throw line setting a new NJIT Division I individual record. Gerald surpasses teammate Taiwo Oyelola, who sank 11 free throws two years ago at Lafayette on December 28, 2006.
Junior forward Taiwo Oyelola posted a season-high 15 points off the bench for the Highlanders while grabbing seven rebounds. Twin sister Kehinde Oyelola, making her second start of the season, collected 10 points and eight rebounds. Kehinde was one rebound shy her career-high (9 rebounds vs. Morgan State 11/13/06).
Senior captain Jackie McCaffrey dished out a game-high six assists. Senior Jill Dickinson and Gerald shared game-high honors with three steals each.
Maine was paced by Brittany Boser with 16 points and Samantha Baranowski added13. Every player for Maine that entered the game, pulled down at least one rebound as they out-rebounded the Highlanders 42-29, led by Tanna Ross and Colleen Kilmurray.
The Highlanders jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead led by Gerald as she scored the first four buckets of the game from the free throw line. Maine's first basket came at the 17:40 mark, when Amanda Tewksbury scored on a running hook-shot.
NJIT used a 8-2 run to increase its lead to 15-7 at the 11:23 mark but Maine fighting back, went on a 10-0 run of their own led by Boser with eight points to give Maine their first lead of the game, 16-15.
The Highlanders took control with a 10-2 spurt in the last 3:10 of the first half stretching the halftime lead to 33-28. Taiwo Oyelola, a 5-11 post player, led all scorers with 10 points through the first 20 minutes. NJIT's top rebounder was Kehinde Oyelola with seven.
NJIT built a 9-2 run to begin the second half increasing the Highlander lead to 42-31. Gerald scored seven of the Highlanders nine points pushing the lead to 12.
Maine's Ross broke the ice sinking a three-pointer at the 16:16 mark. Over the next three minutes, the Highlanders extended its lead back up to 12 when Gerald hit one of two from the free throw line, 47-35.
With less than 6:00 minutes left in the game, Maine brought the score to within five, 54-49, on a lay-up by Katia Bratishko. On the next possession down the floor, NJIT's Gerald sank a three-pointer from the right side giving NJIT an eight-point cushion.
In the last minute of play, NJIT scored all their points from the free throw line led by McCaffrey with four points.
Both teams shot 40 percent from the field but the Highlanders had an advantage from behind the arc as they shot 35 percent (6-for-17).
NJIT returns to action on Friday, December 5, when they travel to Pennsylvania to take on Lafayette at 7pm. The series between both teams is tied, 1-1.
