Box Score
 
BROOKINGS, SD—South Dakota State dominated early and late in each half for a convincing 71-46 women's basketball victory over visiting NJIT Monday at Frost Arena.
 
South Dakota State, a 25-win team and defending Summit League Champions last season, was paced by three double-figure scorers Monday, led by forwards Megan Waytashek and Mariah Clarin, who each notched a game-high 12 points, while guard Kerri Young added 10 points for the Jacks.
 
On the boards, Waytashek recorded a game-high eight rebounds followed by Clarin with seven as Jacks held a 38-to-29 advantage on the glass.
 
NJIT senior Uju Nwankwo led the way for the visitors recording nine points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and pulling down six rebounds. 
 
Graduate student Shakia Robinson, who came off the bench for NJIT and freshman Alana Dudley, making her first collegiate start, each netted eight points.  Robinson added six rebounds while point guard Alyssa Albanese dished out a game-high six assists.
 
In the opening five minutes of the contest, the Highlanders jumped out to a 7-4 lead after a jumper by Albanese. But the Jacks rallied back on a 8-2 spurt taking a three-point lead, 12-9 on a layup by Clarissa Ober at the 13-minute mark.
 
The Jacks extended the lead to double-digits after a 14-4 run, sparked by a fast break layup by Gabby Boever at the 10:10 mark for a 12-point advantage, 26-14, with 1:08 left in the first period.  The Jacks headed into halftime with a 29-16 lead.
 
South Dakota State came out on fire after the first intermission, on a 8-3 run ,pushing the Jacks lead to 18, 37-19, at the 17:30 mark.
 
The Highlanders cut the Jacks' margin to 14 on two different occasions, the final at 13:18 on a fast break layup by junior Denisa Domiterova, for a 43-29 score.  That would be the closest the Highlanders would come to the Jacks.
 
South Dakota State was on NJIT's first Division I schedule in 2006-07, but the series ended when the Jackrabbits entered the Summit League the next year.
 
NJIT will return to action on Thursday at 7pm when the Highlanders host Lafayette at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
 
Lafayette (5-2) is coming off a 66-55 victory at Loyola on November 29.  The Leopards opened the 2013 season with a 4-0 mark for the first time since 2005-06.  The last time both teams met was on December 5, 2008 in Easton, PA, with the Leopards coming out on top, 70-49.