RIVERDALE, NY – Sophomore Maggie Blair led three double-figure scorers with 18 points leading the Lady Jaspers to a 62-48 non conference women's basketball win over visiting NJIT Wednesday evening at Draddy Gymnasium.

Manhattan improves to 3-2 overall on the season, as the 5-foot-10 Blair shot 6-for12 from the field overall, 4-for-6 from three-point range and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. 

Senior guard Abbey Wentworth finished with 16 points and nine rebounds for Manhattan.  Wentworth went 11-for-13 from the free throw line and shared game-high honors with Highlanders Ivana Seric dishing out six assists.  Forward Nadia Peters was the other Lady Jasper to finish in double-figures with 10 points and seven rebounds.

NJIT had two double-figure scorers, paced by junior Melanie Griffin, who finished with 17 points, two shy her career-high 19 points vs. Navy in the Highlanders 2010 season opener on November 14.  Griffin shot 5-for-7 from behind the arc netting 14 of her 17 points in the first half. 

Sophomore forward Rayven Johnson recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds for NJIT.  Sophomore Kimberly Dweck added nine points while Seric pulled down eight rebounds.

Manhattan's Blair started off the game hitting her first three shots from behind the arc as the Lady Jaspers jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the opening three minutes.  Griffin got the Highlanders on the board hitting a three-pointer of her own at the 18-minute mark.

Griffin knocked down her second three-pointer of the game at 13:09 pulling the Highlanders within four of the Lady Jaspers, 12-8.  Manhattan would hold NJIT scoreless over the next 8:04. 

NJIT's Griffin broke the drought at the 5:05 mark as she hit consecutive three-pointers bringing NJIT within 10 of the Lady Jaspers, 24-14, with 3:38 remaining.

After Manhattan's Wentworth hit one of two from the free throw line at the 2:30 mark, the Highlanders scored the next four points on jumpers by Griffin and Dweck, for a 25-18 score, in favor of the home team.

Griffin led all scorers at the half with 14 points and Blair led Manhattan with nine points.

Down 27-18 at the half, NJIT traded baskets with Manhattan over the first three minutes of the second half and the Highlanders found themselves down six, 30-24, after a layup by Seric.

Manhattan went on an 8-2 run sparked by Blair's three-pointer at 17:15 and the Lady Jaspers took a 12-point lead, 38-26.  The Highlanders cut the lead down to 10, 42-32, under the 14-minute mark on a three-point play by senior Jessica Gerald.

The Lady Japers extended its lead to 15, 47-32, on a pair of free throws made by Wentworth at the 10:51 mark. 

After Emily Schartner sank a pair of free throws for NJIT at 7:09, for a 49-39 score, the Highlanders slimmed the lead down to single digits, 54-48, with 1:21 left in the game after Johnson knocked down a jumper from the free throw line at 1:59 and followed on the next possession down the floor sinking two free throws at 1:21.

Manhattan closed out the game from the free throw line in the final minute scoring the last eight points of the contest.  The Lady Jaspers shot 86 percent from the free throw line in the second half (18-21) and finished 80 percent for the game.

The Highlanders will return to action on Tuesday, December 7 at Wagner.  Tip off is set for 7pm.  The all-time series between the two teams is tied 2-2.

Last season the Highlanders defeated Wagner 68-56 in Newark, NJ.