Box Score
BROOKLYN, NY—Freshman guard
Alana Dudley drove the lane and scored the final two points of the game with :00.2 remaining, giving the Highlanders a dramatic 60-58 victory over LIU Brooklyn Wednesday evening at Steinberg Center.
The win was the first of the season for the Highlanders, who are 1-4 overall, while the Blackbirds fall to 0-3 on the young season.
The Highlanders led by three, 58-55, after
Alyssa Albanese hit one of two from the free throw line with 23 seconds remaining. The Blackbirds came down misfiring on a three-pointer with 14 seconds but Fanny Cavallo pulled down the rebound and finished an old fashion three-point play which tied the contest at 58 with 12 seconds remaining.
With the score tied, NJIT head coach
Steve Lanpher called a timeout to regroup his squad. Out of the timeout, freshman
Alana Dudley dribbled through the lane and elevated over Blackbird defenders just inside the free throw line for the game-winning floater.
Alana Dudley and
Nicole Maticka each scored a team-high 11 points while
Shakia Robinson and Albanese netted nine points apiece. Albanese shared game-high honors dishing out six assists as Robinson led the Highlanders with six rebounds.
LIU Brooklyn's senior forward Cleandra Roberts led all scorers with 20 points and 11 rebounds, notching her second double-double of the season.
The Blackbirds finished the game shooting 20-for-22 from the free throw line and out-rebounding the visitors, 41-24. NJIT got 28 points from its bench Wednesday and scored 18 points off turnovers to pull out the victory.
The game remained close throughout the first half, with neither team leading by more than five. The Highlanders largest lead of the first period came at the 6:22 mark after Albanese drained a three-pointer for a 17-12 advantage. The score saw three more ties in the half, the final at 22, on a layup by NJIT's Robinson.
NJIT converted two layups in the final 1:45 for a 26-22 lead but LIU Brooklyn's Roberts sank a pair of free throws with nine seconds left in the half as the Highlanders went into the locker room with a 26-22 advantage.
To open the second half, LIU Brooklyn scored the first four points taking a two-point advantage, 28-26. The contest saw three more ties and five lead changes, the final tie coming at the 8:37 mark, after a jumper by NJIT's Maticka for a 41-41 score.
The Blackbirds took a two-point advantage, 43-41, after a pair of free throws by Sophie Bhasin with 8:15 remaining in the game. The Highlanders saw its biggest lead of the second half, after scoring nine consecutive points for a seven-point advantage, 50-43. In the Highlander scoring rally,
Alana Dudley scored seven points.
LIU Brooklyn answered with four straight points from senior forward Roberts, pulling the home team within, three, 50-47. NJIT's Dudley answered again with a lay-up pushing the Highlander lead up to five, 52-47, with three minutes left in the game.
The home team scored four straight points from the free throw line cutting the Highlander deficit to one, 52-51, with 2:13 left to play. NJIT's Maticka drained a three-pointer from the corner, in front of the NJIT bench, for a 55-51 advantage.
LIU Brooklyn's Kelly Robinson pushed the ball ahead and scored a layup with 32 second remaining closing the gap to within two, 55-53. The Blackbirds fouled quickly putting Maticka at the line with 30 seconds. The junior forward knocked down both giving NJIT a four-point lead, 57-53.
NJIT will return to action on Saturday at 2pm when the Highlanders visit Northeastern. In the last meeting between the teams on December 1, 2012 the Highlanders dropped a 59-45 decision in Newark.
