Box Score
NEWARK, NJ—NJIT, trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half, closed to within a point of the lead in the final minute, but the University at Albany withstood the Highlander surge and escaped with a 52-49 non-conference women's basketball victory Thursday night in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
UAlbany, which made all four of its free throws in the last 19 seconds to even its record at 1-1, got a game-high 12 points from senior guard Charity Iromuanya, supported by 11 from her sophomore backcourt mate, Felicia Johnson.
NJIT (1-2) got 11 points and nine rebounds from junior forward Ivana Seric, whose layup pulled the Highlanders to within a point of the lead, 48-47, with 46 seconds left. Senior Taiwo Oyelola added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Highlanders.
The Great Danes led after a low-scoring first half, 22-12, as both teams struggled to make shots, especially from three-point range, where they combined to go 0-for-18, while also combining for 23 first-half turnovers—12 by UAlbany.
With NJIT continuing its offensive struggles, the visitors appeared well on the way to a comfortable win, stretching their advantage to 36-20 on freshman reserve guard Ebone Henry's bucket with 12:08 remaining.
But the Highlanders, who had struggled mightily to score up to that point, would pour in 29 points the rest of the way and put themselves in position to complete the comeback.
NJIT began picking up its scoring pace, but the Great Danes still led by 13, 40-27, on Henry's second basket of the game with 8:38 on the clock.
That's when the Highlanders began to really connect, getting nine unanswered points in 1:01, starting with a three-pointer by Taiwo Oyelola at the 8:19 mark, continuing with a Jessica Gerald jumper and concluding with a rare four-point play, as Taiwo was fouled in the act of shooting a three that went in from the top of the key and then made the free throw with 7:18 left.
Having trimmed the lead to four, 40-36, on Oyelola's four-point play, NJIT was in the hunt the rest of the way, twice getting to within two points of the lead before the final minute.
Kehinde Oyelola had pulled NJIT to within a deuce, 44-42, on two foul shots with 4:54 left, but UAlbany showed some of the resilience that would ultimately get it across the finish line, answering with four points by Iromuanya and holding a 48-42 lead at 3:06.
NJIT then posted five unanswered points, as Kehinde Oyelola made the second of two free throws on the next possession and then Seric made a fair of foul shots with 1:17 left.
As the clock went under a minute, Taiwo Oyelola made a steal and NJIT coach Margaret McKeon called timeout to set up a play, which ended with Seric's driving layup from the baseline and right of the basket that made the score 48-47.
After using most of the shot clock, Albany's Melia Basavand took the ball into the lane and drew a foul, which she converted into two points with 19 seconds left.
The Highlanders missed a three-point attempt on the other end and Julie Forster, who recovered the rebound and was fouled, made her two free throws, putting the game out of NJIT's reach, 52-47, with seven seconds left.
NJIT will complete its three-game homestand on Saturday with a 2 pm game against Maine in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center. That contest will be followed by a men's game between NJIT and Lafayette scheduled for a 4 pm start.
