Box Score
NEW HAVEN, CT -- Jessica Gerald led all scorers with 20 points and junior Kehinde Oyelola added 16 points but it wasn't enough for visiting NJIT to prevail in Friday's 74-66 women's basketball loss at Yale.
Yale, who played NJIT for the first time ever, scored 46 of its 74 points in the paint on the offensive end, outscoring the Highlanders 46-38. Yale had a slight advantage in points off turnovers 30-28 and in bench scoring 25-23.
Yale's four double-figure scorers were paced by Melissa Colborne, Jaime Van Horne and Kaitlyn Lillemoe with 12 points. Guard Yoyo Greenfield chipped in 10 points and dished out a game-high six assists. Forward Mady Gobrecht was effective on the inside, nearly posting a double-double combining for nine points and eight rebounds for the home team.
NJIT's Taiwo Oyelola, who played just 20 minutes pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Yale took a 36-31 advantage on the boards as Colborne and Gobrecht finished with eight each.
Both teams found the scoring rhythm early and it was 10-10 when Kehinde Oyelola made a lay-up 5:10 into the game.
Yale's Lillemoe made her first of six baskets of the game to break the tie one minute later and was followed by Gobrecht 23 seconds later to put the Bulldogs ahead 14-10.
NJIT answered with four quick points on a lay-up by Gerald and a three-pointer by Kehinde Oyelola for a 15-14 lead.
The visitors found themselves ahead by three on three different occasions, the last coming at 4:57, as Taiwo Oyelola sank two free throws from the charity strip for a 23-20 score.
The score seesawed over the next three minutes as the game was knotted at 26 when Gerald hit one of two from the free throw line at 2:14. Freshman point guard Ash'Lee Smith added a bucket at 1:46 driving down the middle of the lane and Taiwo Oyelola hit a jumper from the baseline at the 1:13 mark going up four, 30-26.
Yale scored the final four points of the half, making the score 30-30 on Michelle Cashen's bucket at the buzzer.
To open the second half, the Bulldogs sparked a 15-4 run over the first four minutes taking a 45-34 lead. NJIT head coach Margaret McKeon called for a timeout to regroup her team as they responded with a 11-2 run of their own closing the gap to within two points on a lay-up by Kehinde Oyelola with 12:47 left.
Yale scored the next four points going up 51-45 but the Highlanders fought back and got as close as four with 9:33 left to go on a lay-up by Gerald.
The Bulldogs took their biggest lead of the game, 70-55, on a lay-up by Lillemoe at the 4:13 mark.
In the final four minutes of the game, the Highlanders went on a 11-4 run but it was too late as Yale secured the contest. Seric scored four points for the visitors in the run.
NJIT will return to action on Sunday when they face Division I Independent Savannah State. Tip off is scheduled for 3pm.
