Box Score
NEWARK, NJ– Junior guard
Denisa Domiterova came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points for NJIT, but it went for naught, as the NJIT women's basketball team lost its fourth straight contest, falling to visiting University at Albany, 75-64, at the Fleisher Athletic Center Tuesday night.
The loss dropped the Highlanders to 2-10 overall while the Great Danes remain undefeated at 8-0.
NJIT head coach
Steve Lanpher was pleased with his team's effort against an undefeated opponent.
"We didn't put it on our scout sheet," head coach
Steve Lanpher said of the Great Danes' perfect record. "The staff knew about it. We just wanted them to focus on what they could do. There are no moral victories here, but we played really hard. We executed well on both ends. We're just trying to get one. We're right there. We don't want to lose, but the character is there. We just have to stick together and we will win some of these."
Shereesha Edwards paced a balanced scoring attack for UAlbany, scoring a game-high 21 points on 7-of-11 from the floor and 7-of-10 from the free throw line. Edwards also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
"When they needed a basket, they got it from her," Lanpher said of Edwards. "Their post players hurt us."
Tammy Phillip had 15 points and eight rebounds coming off the bench for the Great Danes while Erin Coughlin had 14 points and Sarah Royals added 13
.
After Domiterova nailed a 3-pointer to give the Highlanders a 26-24 lead with 6:35 left in the first half, UAlbany's Royals tied the game at 26-26 on a layup, then added two free throws to give the Great Danes the lead for good.
Royals added another layup to push the lead to 32-26 with 1:23 remaining before intermission, capping an 8-0 run. Albany held a 35-30 lead at the break led by Coughlin, who scored all 14 of her points in the first intermission.
Edwards had 16 of her points in the second half, as the Great Danes held the Highlanders at bay.
"They made plays when they had to," Lanpher said. "We were dead even with them for most of the way. A team like that, you have to outplay them. We shot the ball as well as we have all year."
Besides Domiterova, the Highlanders received 11 points from graduate student
Shakia Robinson and nine points (a career-high) from freshman guard
Olivia Dudley, who made three 3-pointers.
For the game, the Highlanders shot 52 percent (25-for-48) from the floor and 47 percent (8-for-17) from 3-point range.
"I'm excited about that," Lanpher said of his team's shooting prowess. "They played with intensity and had each other's back tonight."
The Highlanders have a little more than a week off before facing cross-state rival Fairleigh Dickinson at home on Dec. 19, with game time slated for 7 p.m.
Courtesy James Hague