Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Senior Kehinde Oyelola led three double-figure scorers with 14 points for NJIT, in a 60-56 win over Chicago State in Great West Conference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

Kehinde, the fourth leading scorer on the NJIT squad, posted 14 points and was one rebound shy a double-double pulling down a team-high nine rebounds.  The forward, who came off the bench for the Highlanders, went 4-for-6 from behind the arc.

In addition to Kehinde, point guard Melanie Griffin and freshman Rayven Johnson added 10 points apiece for NJIT.  Johnson was 3-for-4 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.  Forward Ivana Seric chipped in eight points and shared game-high honors with Chicago State's Janay Dockery dishing out seven assists.  The seven assists for Seric ties a career-high (7 assists at Utah Valley, 3/5/09).

Chicago State forward Courtney Waldon notched a double-double scoring a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds, connecting on 6-of-12 from behind the arc.  Center Elana Wroten posted 10 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes of action for the Cougars.

Neither team led by more than three over the first 7:06, until Kehinde Oyelola sank a three-pointer at the 12:12 mark to hold a 14-8 lead.  Chicago State would slim the lead to one, the closest they got all game, 16-15, on a three-pointer by Courtney Waldon with 9:07 left in the half.

NJIT went on a quick 6-0 run over the next 2:15, for a 22-15 advantage after two free throws made by Johnson.  Cougars guard Dockery cut the lead to two, 24-22, with less than three minutes to go, hitting one of two from the free throw line.  Senior guard Katie Piekielski accounted for the Highlanders final four points of the first half for a 30-22 advantage at the break.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Chicago State exploded on a 11-4 spurt, led by Courtney Waldon's nine points, cutting the Highlander deficit to one, 34-33, at the 16:26 mark.

NJIT maintained its lead and scored the next seven points as the Highlanders stretched their lead to 12 points, 50-38, on two free throws by Jessica Gerald with 6:30 remaining.

Chicago State rallied on a 8-0 spurt, sparked by Courtney Waldon's three-pointer at the 6:09 mark and pulled within four, 50-46, on a pair of free throws by Caila Desroches.  Courtney Waldon's bucket at 2:17 made it a four-point game, 56-52, but Griffin hit two free throws at 1:36, pushing the Highlander lead to six, 58-52.  

The Cougars added a bucket with 45 seconds and Desroches hit one of two from the free throw line with 13 seconds left in the contest, but it was NJIT's Johnson who sealed the game with one second remaining sinking a pair of free throws for a 60-56 victory.

The Highlanders will host Utah Valley on Saturday, January 30 at 2pm in the first game of a women's/men's doubleheader in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.