Box Score
NEWARK, NJ– Sophomore forward
Uju Nwankwo made one free throw with 25 seconds remaining, snapping a 53-53 tie and giving NJIT a 54-53 victory over Bucknell in non-conference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
The victory enabled the Highlanders to improve to 4-2 on the season, while Bucknell dropped to 1-8 overall.
Nwankwo, who paced the Highlanders with 13 points, was fouled attempting a shot in the frantic closing seconds. She made the second of the two free throws and then keyed a solid defensive possession where the Highlanders kept Bucknell from scoring.
Nwankwo hurried Bucknell's Shelby Romine's final shot with four seconds left and junior guard
Kimberly Dweck grabbed the rebound and dribbled out the clock to preserve the victory.
The Highlanders had four players in double-figures, led by Nwankwo's game-high 13. Junior guard
Rayven Johnson added 12 points and had a team-high nine rebounds, sharing game-high honors with Bucknell's Lindsay Horbatuck while Dweck and freshman guard
Denisa Domiterova had 10 points each. Nwankwo also added eight rebounds for the home team. Dweck had seven assists in the win, registering a new personal-best.
Bucknell had grabbed a 53-51 lead with 2:03 remaining on a breakaway layup by Alyssa Dunn, but the Highlanders tied the game at 53-53 on a jumper at the free throw line from freshman forward Sarah Olsen.
The Bison had a chance to take the lead with 40 seconds left, but freshman center
Nicole Maticka made a key block and Johnson grabbed her ninth rebound of the game. A foul by Bucknell's Felicia Mgbada, with 25 seconds, on Nwankwo's jump shot attempt, led to the game-winning free throw.
Bucknell was led by Felicia Mgbada, who had 12 points followed by Romine, who added 11, including seven-of-eight from the free throw line. Dunn had nine points in the loss.
The Highlanders return to action on the road against Lehigh Wednesday at 5pm and return home on Sunday, December 11 to play host to Rider. Tipoff is scheduled for 2pm at the Fleisher Athletic Center.
In the last meeting between NJIT and Lehigh, Lehigh outscored the visitors, 8-2, over the final 3:43 securing a 53-45 win over the Highlanders.
