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The NJIT women's basketball team will open up Great West Conference play on Saturday at 2pm when the Highlanders host Texas-Pan American at the Fleisher Athletic Center.  The NJIT men will follow in a match-up against GWC opponent Chicago State at 4pm.

NJIT (7-11 overall, 5-3 at home on Fleisher Family Court) has dropped its last three contests, all to Patriot League opponents and look to get back into the win column on Saturday with a victory over Texas-Pan American.

The Highlanders, who received one first-place vote, were selected to finish second in the league, totaling 19 points behind Great West Conference favorite Utah Valley.  Texas-Pan American finished third in the preseason poll with 14 points.

NJIT hold a 9-5 all-time record over the Broncs, having won the last three out of four contests.  NJIT swept the season series last season with a one-point victory in Edinburg, TX (41-40) on January 21 as senior Rayven Johnson scored the game-winning basket with 7.4 left and the Highlanders took a 61-52 victory in Newark on February 16 as Johnson scored all 11 of her points in the second half, nine of which came in a crucial portion of the half.

NJIT will look for its third straight GWC opener victory as the Highlanders defeated Texas-Pan American (68-60) on January 12, 2011 and Houston Baptist (69-52) on January 19, 2012.

The Highlanders are led by Preseason GWC?first-team honoree Johnson who is averaging close to a double-double with 16ppg and 9.8rpg.  The senior has posted nine double-doubles on the season and 20 for her career while registering double-figure scoring in 15 out of 18 games this season.  Johnson, who scored her 1,000 point on December 30 vs. URI, ranks seventh all-time with 1,043career points and third with 702 career rebounds. 

Johnson ranks second in the GWC in free throw percentage (77-98 - .786), third in scoring and rebounds, fourth in field goal percentage (104-265 - .392).  Johnson has also been named GWC?Player of the Week three times this season (November 11, December 18 and January 3).

NJIT's second leading scorer is sophomore Sarah Olson with 8.3ppg.  Olson leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage (36-92 - .391) and three-pointer made (36).

Junior Uju Nwankwo, the Highlanders athletic forward, is third on the team averaging 6.9ppg and second with 6.5rpg.  Nwawnko has at least one block or one steal in 16 out of 18 games and leads the GWC in blocked shots with 28 while teammate Nicole Maticka is second with 27.

Texas-Pan American Notes
Texas-Pan American (5-11 overall, 0-1 in GWC and 2-8 on the road) have dropped its last five games, all on the road.  The Broncs are on its sixth game road trip of the season and will return back to the UTPA?Fieldhouse on January 16 to host Utah Valley.
 
The Broncs return nine players from last year's squad, which finished 13-17, 5-5 in the conference and welcome six new freshmen.

The Broncs, which have already opened up GWC play at Utah Valley, on January 5, dropped a 71-66 overtime decision, with the Preseason GWC favorite Utah Valley outscoring the Broncs in overtime, 8-3.

Texas-Pan American is led by Jasmine Thompson with 8.5ppg, which ranks Thompson seventh in the GWC.  The sophomore guard is coming off an 11-point performance at CSU Bakersfield, where the Broncs fell, 85-62, on January 8.

KaeLynn Boyd is second on the team with 7.6ppg while ranking third in the GWC in free throw percentage (.783 - 36-46), fourth in assists per game (2.6) and 11th in scoring.

Cassandra Moody, the only Bronc to start every game this season (16), leads the team in rebounds with (7.4), ranking fourth in the GWC and in blocked shots (1.3).

The Broncs placed two players of the Preseason GWC all-Conference team -- seniors Bianca Torre and Ce'Monay Newell.  Torre, the 2009-10 GWC Newcomer of the Year, is averaging (5.8ppg) and (2.3apg) while Newell a preseason first-team selectee comes off the bench and averages (6.1ppg) and (2.0rpg).

Next season, Texas-Pan American will join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), sponsoring all 14 Bronc sports.  The Bronc teams have competed in the GWC since 2009-10, with the exception of two sports (men's tennis, men's golf).

Fans can follow all the action live on www.njithighlanders.com, which will carry a live video stream and webcast play-by-play and commentary from Matt Provence, as well as an in-game real-time stat feed. Coverage begins at 1:45 p.m. with tip-off set for 2:00 p.m.