Box Score 

NEWARK, NJ – Jessica Gerald scored a season-high 34 points for the home team as NJIT topped Texas-Pan American, 70-66, in women's basketball Great West Conference action Saturday afternoon at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

The result leaves the Highlanders (10-12, 5-1 in the conference) while Texas-Pan American, who gave NJIT its only conference loss is (10-15, 6-3 in the conference). 

Gerald, the junior guard who shot 2-for-20 in the first meeting between the teams on January 14 bounced back Saturday shooting 10-for-20 from the field and 10-for-13 from the charity strip. 

Senior forward Taiwo Oyelola contributed 12 points and six rebounds while Katie Piekielski added 10 points on a 5-of-9 evening from the field off the bench for the Highlanders.

Freshman Rayven Johnson posted a career-high 13 rebounds tying the NJIT Division I single-game record held by current Highlander Taiwo Oyelola (13 vs. Central Conn. State 12/30/09) Kehinde Oyelola (13 vs. Savannah State 3/6/08) and Aine O'Dwyer (13 vs. Lafayette 12/29/06). Forward Ivana Seric dished out a career-high nine assists for the Highlanders.

Texas-Pan American's senior guard Aleeya Grigsby posted her third consecutive double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Bianca Torre followed behind with 16 points while guard Marah Guzman tallied 14 points and seven assists.  Rose Esther Jean pulled down 11 rebounds for the Broncs.

NJIT scored the first points of the game and went on an 11-2 run over the opening five minutes led by Gerald's four points.  On Texas-Pan American's next possession down the floor, Guzman hit a jumper breaking the Broncs drought.

Texas-Pan American went on a run of their own -- 8-4 run sparked by a fast-break jumper by Guzman.  Guzman also finished a rare four-point play at 10:14 cutting the lead down to two, 15-13.

NJIT stretched its lead to 13 on back-to-back jumpers made by Piekielski, the second with 3:20 remaining in the first half.   The Broncs answered with an 8-0 spurt over the next two minutes (jumper by Guzman and the second four-point play of the game), battling back within five points of the home team, 30-25.  Piekielski responded by sinking a jumper at the 1:05 mark.

Gerald led all scorers at halftime with 13 points while Guzman scored 12 for the Broncs.

Leading 32-26 at halftime, NJIT started the second half on a 6-2 run going up eight, 38-30, at the 16:14 mark.  Texas-Pan American came within three points, 42-39, as Taylor Schneider hit one free throw just under the 13-minute mark.

At the 9:30 mark in the second half, Gerald hit for her third three-pointer of the game increasing the Highlander lead to 10, 54-44.

Texas-Pan American scored the next six points closing the gap to within four, 54-50, on a jumper by Jean.   Seric put the Highlanders back up six, 56-50, just under the seven-minute mark but the Broncs slimmed the lead to within two, 56-54, at 6:24, on a fast break layup by Grigsby.

Neither team scored a point over the next two minutes until NJIT scored nine straight points, sparked by Gerald's three-pointer from the corner and the Highlanders took a 65-54 advantage with 1:40 remaining in the contest. 

The Broncs fighting to the end exploded for nine points in the final 1:30 slimming the Highlander lead to three, 69-66, on a layup by Sherrell Davis with six seconds remaining in regulation but Taiwo Oyelola hit one free throw with four seconds to seal the game, 70-66.

NJIT will play at North Dakota on Tuesday, February 23, at Noon (CT).  Both teams were slated to play on February 13 but due to last week's winter storms postponed the contest.