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The NJIT women's basketball team will host Houston Baptist on Saturday at 2pm in Great West Conference action in the Fleisher Athletic Center. … NJIT leads the all-time series 2-0.
The Highlanders (4-10, 1-0 GWC) opened conference play on Wednesday hosting Texas-Pan American defeating the Broncs 68-60 led by senior Jessica Gerald's game-high 24 points.
Gerald, who scored her season-high 25 in the previous game at Harvard last weekend, appears to be heating up as conference play begins. She was especially hot in the second half against UTPA.
Although her nine first-half points were game-high Wednesday, Gerald stepped up to score 15 of NJIT's 33 second-half points, as the Highlanders held on against the Broncs in the game in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
The senior guard, who was named pre-season first-team all-GWC, leads the Highlanders with 14.4ppg (ranks sixth in the conference in scoring) followed by junior Melanie Griffin, a junior guard, who averaged 11.5ppg thru the first eight games. Griffin will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury.
Sophomore forward Rayven Johnson ranks third on the team with 10.5ppg and is the team-leader with 83 rebounds (5.9rpg). Point guard Kimberly Dweck is shooting 76 percent from the free throw line (26-34) and senior Ivana Seric has dished out a team-leading 41 assists. Johnson and Seric tabbed pre-season all-GWC honorable mention recognition.
Houston Baptist (2-14, 0-1 GWC) travels to NJIT after suffering a 94-56 loss at Chicago State on Thursday. Destini Texada earned pre-season second-team all-GWC honors, has led the Huskies in scoring for the third time in the last six games with 16 points.
Texada is the only Husky averaging double-digits with 12.1ppg and also leads the team in rebounds with 7.9rpg.
Jaime Spriggs, a junior, is second on the team averaging 8.7ppg and her 4.3rpg is third-best on the team. Spriggs was named pre-season all-GWC honorable mention.
Senior guard Tia Jackson ranks third on the team in scoring with 7.6ppg and leads the Huskies with 64 assists and 27 steals.
In the last meeting between the two teams on February 18, Gerald scored a game-high 22 points, leading NJIT to a 72-46 Great West Conference win, to sweep the season series.
Fans unable to make the game can follow all the action live on www.njithighlanders.com, which will carry a webcast play-by-play and commentary from Matt Provence, as well as an in-game real-time stat feed.
