Feb. 16, 2008

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Freshman Jessica Gerald led the way with a game-high 23 points, joining NJIT's other two starting guards to combine for 54 points in the Highlanders' 90-61 win over visiting Savannah State Saturday afternoon on women's basketball Alumnae Day in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

NJIT junior point guard Jackie McCaffrey scored a career-high 19 points, surpassing her previous high of 16, done twice at the Division II level.

The third starting guard, junior Jill Dickinson, added 12 points and for good measure senior guard Erika Velez came off the bench for nine points.

The four top scoring NJIT guards combined to shoot 20-for-32 (63 percent) from the field and 18-for-19 from the foul line. All of Dickinson's shot were three-point tries and she was 4-for-7.

Saturday's 90 points were the most this season for NJIT, surpassing the 76 it scored against Cal State Bakersfield on January 11. The NJIT Division I-era scoring high is 91, done on November 18, 2006 in a 91-70 win over Norfolk State in the third game of the Highlanders' first season of Division I competition.

Savannah State, which dropped to 12-14 with the loss, got 22 points from junior forward Antoinette Williams, 12 points from Ivy Smith and 10 from LaShara Smith. Williams scored 18 of her points in the second half.

NJIT had a huge 33-12 advantage on points-off-of-turnovers and the Highlanders outscored the Lady Tigers in the paint. 42-30.

Highlander freshman Ivana Seric had seven rebounds to lead NJIT, which outrebounded the visitors, 42-36. Seric also posted a career-best four blocked shots.

Savannah State's Courtney Long led all rebounders, with eight.

NJIT opened the game, 14-0, as Taiwo Oyelola scored five points and Gerald scored four in the first 3:27.

The Highlander lead slipped under double-figures twice and they led at the half, 40-27, paced by 12 points from Gerald and 11 from McCaffrey. Ivy Smith had 10 points for Savannah State.

Leading by 13 at the half, NJIT poured in 50 points in the second half en route to the 29-point 90-61 victory.

The Highlanders won for the seventh time in their second season of Division I competition and they are 5-6 in the last 11 games.

NJIT will play its final home game of the season on Thursday at 7 pm when it hosts Utah Valley in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.