Box Score 

NEWARK, NJ—Junior guard Jessica Gerald scored 27 points and NJIT tied its school Division I record for steals in a game, with 18, as the Highlanders downed visiting Wagner 68-56 in women's basketball Tuesday night in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

The win in their first home game of the season lifted the Highlanders to 1-1 in the young season while Wagner is winless in its two games, having lost its previous outing in overtime against Army.

Gerald, back in the NJIT lineup this year after an ankle injury that required surgery and caused her to miss the final 10 games last season, is averaging 24 points per game to start her comeback from the injury, having opened with a game-high 21 points Sunday afternoon at Penn State.

Against Wagner, she scored 11 points in the first half and then 16 in the second half, including six-for-six at the foul line in the final minute to put the win on ice.

NJIT had a 29-12 advantage over Wagner in points-off-turnovers, fueled in large part by the Seahawks' 33 turnovers, 18 of which came on NJIT's school Division I record-tying steals total. The Highlanders previously had 18 steals in a game against Wagner on December 21, 2007 and again a week later versus Saint Joseph's (PA).

The individual steals leaders for the Highlanders on Tuesday night were sophomore point guard Melanie Griffin and senior swing player Katie Piekielski, with four apiece. Junior forward Ivana Seric and freshman guard Kimberly Dweck each added three steals for NJIT.

Seric, who finished with 11 points, was the only double-figure scorer for the Highlanders aside from Gerald and the two also paced NJIT in rebounds, as Gerald pulled down six and Seric grabbed five.

Wagner's leader in points and rebounds was junior forward Ashley Olsen, who finished with 13 points and a game-best 10 rebounds, pacing the Seahawks to a 48-30 advantage on the boards. Olsen was the only double-figure scorer for the Seahawks.

NJIT scored the game's first seven points and went up 16-3 after a pair of Rayven Johnson free throws with 12:12 left in the first half.

But the Seahawks fought back and closed the first-half deficit to five points on five different occasions before trailing at the break, 31-24. Gerald had 11 first-half points to lead all scorers, while John'a Poole's six points were tops for the visitors.

Wagner's deficit stood at five, 38-33, with 17:21 left after a layup by Olsen, but NJIT responded with a 13-2 run that began and ended with Seric baskets at 15:48 and 11:15, respectively, giving the Highlanders a 51-35 lead. Seric contributed six points and Gerald added five in the spurt.

The Highlanders eventually extended their margin to as many as 17 points, at 57-40 following a Gerald trey at the 6:37 mark. However, Wagner stayed on its feet and fought back into contention, closing back to within seven points, 59-52, on a Sha'Ron Harrison layup with just under two minutes to play.

But Griffin, the NJIT point guard,  made a big foul line jump shot on the next possession and the Highlanders connected on 7-of-8 free throws in the last minute to preserve the win.

The Highlanders, who began a run of three home games in a span of five days, will host Albany on Thursday at 7 pm in the Fleisher Athletic Center.