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NEWARK, NJ—The NJIT women's basketball team will open up the season at Stony Brook from the America East on Friday at 6pm in Pritchard Gymnasium. 

NJIT, coming off a record setting season in 2012-13, won the 2013 Great West Tournament.  The Highlanders had never won a conference tournament title at any level since beginning play in 1986-87.

Head Coach Steve Lanpher is entering his second year at the NJIT helm after a debut season that ended with the championship of the final Great West Conference Tournament. The championship game win pushed the Highlanders' season total to 16, a new high in Division I for a program that entered the college game's highest level in 2006-07.

Forward Uju Nwankwo, the Highlanders a 6-foot athletic forward and tri-captain heads into her senior campaign with 134 career blocks (ranking 2^nd all-time and in the NJIT Division I era).  Nwankwo earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Great West Conference and second team honors last season averaging 7.1ppg and 7.3rpg while leading the Great West with 61 blocks.

Shakia Robinson, a 6-foot-1 forward, will debut as a Highlander on Friday after playing three seasons at UMass.  Robinson, who did not play in 2012-13, played in 29 games (starting 25) in 2011-12 for the Minutewomen averaging 12.1ppg and 5.9rpg.

Junior point guard Alyssa Albanese, who appeared in 31 games (10 starts), led the Highlanders last season with 77 assists while classmate Martina Matejcikova played in every game (31) averaging 3.8ppg and 2.8rpg.

Center Nicole Maticka played in 30 games in 2012-13 and currently holds the NJIT school-record and NJIT Division I record with 137 career blocks.  Last season, Maticka ranked second on the team with 54 blocks.  

Junior three-point threat shooter Denisa Domiterova appeared in 26 games last season, connecting on 24 three-point baskets ranking second on the team.
Lanpher has brought in an eight-player recruiting class that consists of four freshmen and four transfers.

Here is a list of the newcomers is alphabetical order:
Alana Dudley (Guard, Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park HS)
Olivia Dudley (Guard, Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park HS/Stony Brook)
Ronni Grandison (Guard/Forward), West Chester, OH/Lakota West HS/UMass)
Leah Horton (Forward, Macungie, PA/Emmaus HS/Temple)
Shakia Robinson (Forward, North Wales, PA/North Penn HS/UMass)
Maria Ruban (Center, Kiev, Ukraine/Our Lady of Mercy Academy HS (Newfield, NJ)
Camerin Spahn (Guard, Freehold, NJ/Freehold HS)
Ruta Vetra (Guard, Jurmala, Lativa/Our Lady of Mercy Academy HS (Newfield, NJ)

Stony Brook Notes
Stony Brook produced the seventh-best turnaround in the country in 2012-13 with a 10-win improvement from 2011-12.   The Seawolves finished with a 14-16 overall record, the most wins for the program since 2006-07, while the seed was its highest since 2010-11.

The Seawolves were selected third in the America East preseason coaches' poll. It is the second highest pre-season spot in program history for the Seawolves, who were chosen second in 2006-07, and their best since being slotted fourth in 2010-11.

Junior Sabre Proctor, Stony Brook's top returning scorer was named to the America East Preseason first-team. Proctor averaged a team-best 10.9 points per game.

Last Time Out vs. Stony Brook
In the first meeting between the two teams, Stony Brook's Jessica Previlon scored eight of her 15 points in a dominating first half, also grabbing 10 rebounds, to lead the Seawolves past NJIT, 59-34 in Newark.

Fans who can't make the game at Pritchard Gymnasium can watch live on AmericaEast.TV. CLICK HERE

The Highlanders will open up the 2013 season at home hosting New Hampshire at 7 pm on November 13 in the Fleisher Athletic Center. The game vs. UNH will be the first of 14 home games scheduled for the 2013-14 season.