Box Score
 
OREM, UT – Junior guard Rayven Johnson paced NJIT with 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists as the Highlanders pulled out a 48-46 Great West Conference women's basketball victory at Utah Valley Thursday evening at the UCCU Center.
 
The Highlanders (9-14 overall, 3-3 in the Great West) snapped a three-game skid with the win over the Wolverines. Utah Valley, who had won its previous five out of six contests falls to 11-11 overall, 3-2 in the Great West.
 
NJIT, which trailed by two at halftime, 22-20, itself down by five, 29-24, 4:50 into the second period, after Utah Valley's Erika Newbold hit one of two from the free throw line.
 
The Highlanders erased the Utah Valley lead and more, as the visitors went on a 12-2 run over the next 6:25, swinging NJIT from being down five, to being ahead by five, 36-31, after Uju Nwankwo connected on an old-fashioned three-point play, with eight minutes remaining in the contest.
 
The Wolverines trimmed the NJIT lead back to two, 39-37, at the 6:10 mark, as the home team rallied for a quick 6-3 spurt.  Newbold had four points in the run for Utah Valley.
 
Highlanders Melanie Griffin connected on her only three-pointer of the contest on the next possession down the floor, putting NJIT back up by five, 42-37, with 5:25 remaining.
 
Utah Valley's leading scorer on the season, Sammie Jensen knocked down a pair of free throws to pull within three of the Highlanders, 42-39, with less than five minutes remaining. 
 
Neither team scored over the next two minutes until Johnson finished a three-point play with 3:06 on the clock, for a 45-39 score.
 
Utah Valley's Newbold scored back-to-back buckets in the span 25 seconds, cutting the Highlander lead to two, 45-43, with 1:35 left to go. 
 
Both teams had opportunities to score in the final 48 seconds but it was NJIT's Denisa Domiterova who banked a three-pointer from beyond the three-point arc with one second remaining on the shot clock, to give her team a 48-43  lead with 27 seconds remaining.
 
After a timeout by NJIT, the Wolverines dribbled down the court and senior guard Abbie Beutler sank a three-pointer with 18 seconds keeping the Wolverines alive.
 
The Highlanders missed the front end of a one-and-one with 13 seconds, giving the Wolverines a chance to tie the game.  Utah Valley's sophomore guard Whitney Jenkins' baseline jumper went in the cylinder and rolled out as time expired and the Highlanders held on to a 48-46 victory.
 
Following Johnson's team-leading 13 points was Domiterova, who came off the bench and scored eight points in 27 minutes of action.  Nwankwo finished with seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks.  Griffin and Kimberley Dweck dished out four assists apiece.
 
Utah Valley was led by Newbold's double-double – 12 points, career-high 14 rebounds followed by Jensen's 13 points and seven rebounds.  Jenkins chipped in nine points and Beutler posted a game-high five assists.
 
The Highlanders will return to action on Saturday at North Dakota.  Tipoff is scheduled for 7pm (CT).  North Dakota, who sits in first-place in the Great West Conference is coming into Saturday's contest with a 14-10 overall mark, 5-1 in the conference.