Box Score 

 
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Navy's strong first half proved to be the difference for the Midshipmen, who defeated visiting NJIT 67-51 Tuesday night in women's basketball non-conference action at Alumni Hall.
 
The Midshipmen took control in the first 12 minutes of the contest, jumping out to a 22-point lead, 26-4, and finished the first period shooting 15-for-26 from the field, including 8-for-10 from three-point range for a 43-14 scoring advantage over the Highlanders in the first 20 minutes.
 
Sophomore guard Alix Membreno scored 11 of her career-high 24 points in the first half, hitting 2-of-3 from behind the arc and 3-of-6 from the field in 17 first half minutes.  She pulled down a team-high seven rebounds for the game.
 
Following Membreno's 24 points was sophomore guard Kara Pollinger with 12 points (five points in the first half) while forward Audrey Bauer chipped in 11 points for Navy.  Pollinger grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a game-high seven assists.
 
The Highlanders were led by junior Rayven Johnson, who posted her third consecutive double-double with a team-high 17 points and game-high 10 rebounds.  With the 10 rebounds for Johnson on Tuesday, she reached 100 rebounds for the season and for her career has combined for 394, which places her fourth all-time in the Division 1 records. The 5-foot-8 guard shot 7-for-8 from the free throw line at Navy.
 
Johnson was named Great West Conference Player of the Week Tuesday evening for her strong performance in NJIT's last two games at the Cyclone Challenge. 
 
Freshman Denisa Domiterova was the Highlanders other double-figure scorer with 14 points and matched her career-high with six rebounds.  Point guard Kimberly Dweck added seven points and four assists.
 
Trailing 43-14 at half, the Highlanders opened up the second half on an 18-4 spurt in the opening 10 minutes.  NJIT was fueled behind Johnson's nine points in the run, as the Highlanders cut a 29-point half time deficit to 15 after a layup by Nicole Maticka, with 10:30 remaining in the game.
 
NJIT, continuing to fight back, pulled within 13 of the Midshipmen on two occasions, the first on a three-point play by Dweck at 7:40, who was fouled on a jumper at the free throw line. Navy scored six unanswered points pushing its lead to 19, 56-37, on a pair of free throws by Membreno, with 4:17 left to go.
 
The visitors answered Navy's short run by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers by Domiterova, for a 56-43 score, at the 2:44 mark, the closest the Highlanders would get to the Midshipmen.
 
Navy extended its lead to 20 on a jumper by Bauer at the one-minute mark but the Highlanders playing till the final whistle, scored the final four points for a 67-51 score. 
 
NJIT, who shot (17.9 percent) in the first half, bounced back shooting (48.3 percent)  14-of-29 from the field in the second half.  The Highlanders outscored the home team, 37-24, in the second period.
 
The Highlanders will continue its nine-game road trip and travel to Howard on January 5.  Tipoff is scheduled for 7pm.
 
Howard (9-5), who is coming off a 67-55 road victory at Mount St. Mary's, has won its last eight contests.  The Bison are led by two double-figure scorers -- Tamoria Holmes with 18.4ppg and Saadia Doyle's 16.3ppg and 8.6rpg.