Box Score
OREM, UT – Utah Valley's seniors Robyn Fairbanks and Sandy Wall combined for 66 points leading the Wolverines to a 94-86 victory over visiting New Jersey Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon at The McKay Center in women's basketball action.
Fairbanks, who made 18 of 20 shots from field and 5 of 6 free throws scored a game-high 41 points, two shy her career-mark of 43 points against Montana State on December 20, 2006. She also pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds as the Wolverines outrebounded NJIT 35-20 on the boards.
In addition to Fairbanks 41 points, the Wolverines got 25 points from senior guard Sandy Wall. Wall shot 10 of 19 from the field and 4 of 10 from behind the arc. Junior Julie McMurray finished with 13 points and six rebounds for Utah Valley. Point guard Asumi Nakayama dished out a game-high 12 assists, one shy her career record 13 assists at Portland State on December 29, 2008.
NJIT had six players reach double-figures paced by junior forward Kehinde Oyelola who poured in a career-high 23 points as she connected on 7 for 9 from behind the arc matching NJIT's individual single-game record. Kehinde has topped 20 points one other time this season against Savannah State on January 11.
Looking back to the records, Nevea Van Wright sank seven three-pointers against NY-Maritime on February 19, 1994, when NJIT was in Division III.
Senior captain Jackie McCaffrey scored 17 points, Jill Dickinson and Ivana Seric registered 11 apiece while junior's Katie Piekielski and Taiwo Oyelola chipped in 10 apiece. Seric collected a career-high five steals surpassing her old mark of three against Chicago State this season.
By halftime, Fairbanks appeared headed for a 30-point effort, with her 21 points leading all scorers and representing nearly half of her team's total, as the Highlanders trailed, 43-32.
Taiwo Oyelola started a Highlander rally early in the second half with 16:08 on the clock, when she completed an old-fashion three-point play and NJIT scored the next five points cutting the deficit to five on a three-pointer by Dickinson, 57-52.
Fairbanks ended the Highlander rally with a lay-up at 15:11 but NJIT's Dickinson came back and answered with a three-pointer from the wing and Seric finished a running lay-up at 14:34, bringing NJIT within two, 59-57.
Utah Valley went ahead by eight on three different occasions over the next eight minutes, 77-69, the last coming at 8:36, on a three-pointer by Kayla Burningham.
NJIT would come as close as two, with 6:40 remaining in the contest when senior Dickinson sank her third three-pointer of the night, 77-75, but it wasn't enough as the Wolverines took an eight point lead with 4:11 left on the clock, 85-77, on a lay-up by Fairbanks closing out the game.
The Highlanders will return to Orem, Utah the on March 5 to play three games in the Division I Independent Tournament.
NJIT will face #1 seeded Utah Valley on Thursday, March 5 at 7:00pm (MT). This will be the third meeting for both teams this month. Utah Valley defeated the Highlanders 70-58 in Newark on February 12.
Utah Valley leads the all-time series 5-2.
