Box Score
NEWARK, NJ – Junior guard Jessica Gerald scored a game-high 24 points leading New Jersey Institute of Technology in its 69-61 win over visiting Fairleigh Dickinson in women's college basketball Monday night at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
The Highlanders ended the contest on a 12-0 run sparked by Gerald's three-pointer at 3:21, to pull her team within one, 61-60. Point guard Melanie Griffin then stole the ball and finished with a fast break layup giving the Highlanders the lead for good, 62-61, with 2:55 remaining.
Gerald was one of two starters to reach double-figures, scoring 20 of her 24 points in the second half. She shot 11-for-13 from the free throw line and 3-for-5 from behind the arc.
In addition to Gerald, NJIT got 15 points from Taiwo Oyelola who came off the bench in 25 minutes of action and twin sister Kehinde Oyelola recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Highlanders (5-8), who finished with a 38-29 rebounding advantage, got 10 rebounds from Kehinde (seven offensive), eight from forward Ivana Seric and six from Taiwo.
Fairleigh Dickinson got a team-high 22 points from sophomore guard Jasmyra Saunders, who scored 12 in the first half and 10 in the second. Guards Alyssa Mayrose and Mariyah Laury added 13 and 12 points respectively for the Knights. Laury pulled down a team-high six rebounds while handing out a game-high five assists.
Both teams were even in the opening 20 minutes trading baskets until 2:06 left in the first period when Saunders scored on a layup to stretch the Knights lead, 27-22.
NJIT scored the next four points on jumpers by senior Katie Piekielski at 1:51 and then with 44 seconds remaining by freshman guard Kimberly Dweck, cutting the lead to one, 27-26.
FDU's Saunders sank a shot with 16 seconds but Seric's running jumper at the free throw line with one second on the clock ended the half at 29-28, in favor of the Knights.
NJIT will play the next two games at home – Saturday January 9 at 2pm vs. Yale and Tuesday, January 12 at 12pm vs. Harvard, which will be Education Day.
