Box Score

 
AMES, IA – Buffalo outscored NJIT 15-2 over the final 5:20 for a 66-53 victory over the Highlanders, paced by Nytor Longar's career-high 19 points, in the opening game of the Cyclone Challenge women's basketball tournament hosted by Iowa State at the Hilton Coliseum Thursday evening.

NJIT will take on New Hampshire in Friday evening's third-place game. The Wildcats (6-5) lost to host Iowa State, 71-57, in Thursday's other opening-round game. NJIT vs. UNH will tip off at 5 pm (CST).
 
NJIT (5-7), down by seven with 10:40 remaining against Buffalo, climbed back and took its first lead of the second half, 49-48, on a three-pointer by freshman Sarah Olson at the 6:53 mark. 
 
The Highlanders scored eight straight points, sparked by junior Melanie Griffin's jumper from the wing at the 10:13 mark and freshman Denisa Domiterova and Olson connected on back-to-back three-pointers to give NJIT a one-point lead.
 
Buffalo (5-8) knotted the contest at 49, as Brittney Hedderson knocked down one of two from the free throw line with 6:36 left on the clock.  On the next possession down the floor, NJIT's Rayven Johnson tied the score at 51, the fifth tie of the game on a running layup through the paint with 6:03 left to go.
 
The Bulls would then close out the game in the final 5:20 on a 15-2 spurt led by sophomore guard Margeaux Gupilan's six points.
 
Buffalo dominated the inside game producing 38 points in the paint and 30 points off the bench. 
 
The Highlanders were led by Johnson posting her first double-double of the season, with 16 points and 12 rebounds.  The 16 points and 12 rebounds are also a season-high in both categories for the junior guard.  Johnson also recorded a career-high five assists, surpassing her old mark of three vs. Brown in this year's season-opener.
 
Olson was the Highlanders' other double-figure scorer, with 11 points, as the freshman shot 3-of-7 from behind the arc while adding four rebounds.  Classmate Domiterova chipped in nine points – all from behind the arc.
 
Center Nicole Maticka and Uju Nwankwo shared game-high honors with four blocks apiece for the Highlanders.  Nwankwo pulled down nine boards.
 
Buffalo's Nytor, a 6-foot-2 redshirt sophomore forward, came off the bench and finished with a game-high 19 points, shooting 8-for-15 from the field while grabbing eight rebounds for the winners. 
 
Hedderson, who was coming off a 39-point performance against Oakland on Dec. 21, notched 17 points and six rebounds for the Bulls, while senior Teresa Semalulu scored a career-high 11 points and added six steals for the Bulls.
 
Forward Beth Christensen also pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds for Buffalo, as the Bulls held a 52-41 advantage on the glass.
 
The Highlanders scored the first seven points of the game in the opening two minutes.  Buffalo's Christa Baccas got the Bulls on the board at the 16:41 mark, hitting a jumper in the paint.
 
NJIT took its biggest lead of the first half on a jumper by Griffin just under the 16-minute mark for a 9-2 score.  The Bulls went on a quick 6-1 run pulling with two of the Highlanders, 10-8, on Longar's jumper at the 12:39 mark.
 
The Highlanders kept a three-point lead over the next two minutes until Buffalo's Longar stepped up to the line and hit one of two, pulling within one of NJIT, 16-15 and the Bulls went ahead by one of the next play down the floor on a jumper by Ephesia Holmes, 17-16, at 8:45.
 
The game saw its first tiet, 19-19, at the 6:38 mark after NJIT's Maticka hit one of two from the free throw line.  After a jumper by Buffalo's Hedderson put the Bulls ahead by two, 21-19, the game reached two more ties, the last 3:41 on a layup by Longar, for a 25-25 score. 
 
Longar scored the last point of the first half for either team from the free throw line at 3:12 left in the first period.
 
Friday's NJIT opponent, New Hampshire came to Iowa off of a 73-72 overtime victory over Wagner on December 21.  Senior Denise Belivea hit the game-winning jump shot with three seconds left in overtime to give New Hampshire its third straight win.