Live audio link (play-by-play from Michael Ventola)
Live stats link (free)
The NJIT women's basketball team will host Lafayette Thursday evening at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center with tipoff slated for 7pm.
The Highlanders (2-7) dropped the opening four contests of the 2013 season before notching its first victory at LIU Brooklyn on November 20. 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.
NJIT is coming off a 71-46 road loss at South Dakota State on December 2 paced by senior forward
Uju Nwankwo's 9pts, 6rebs.
NJIT is led by
Shakia Robinson, the only double-figure scorer averaging (10.0ppg) followed by
Martina Matejcikova (8.7ppg) and
Alyssa Albanese with (8.6ppg). NJIT's Nwankwo is the top rebounder with (8.4rpg) and 13 blocks.
Lafayette enters Thursday's contest with a 5-2 record closing out their longest road trip of the season.
The 2013-14 Leopards return five starters to a team that finished 11-19 overall and 4-10 in the Patriot League. The seventh seeded Leopards were on the brink of an upset, before No. 2 seeded Navy escaped in overtime, 59-55, last season in the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Navy went on to be the eventual champion.
Lafayette was selected to finish ninth in the 2013 Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Leopards are led by key returners, Jaime O'Hare (13ppg) and Emily Homan (12.7ppg). O'Hare earned Patriot League All-Rookie honors during her freshman campaign with 20 starts in 30 games, averaging (10.9ppg) in 12-13.
Danielle Fiacco returns for her senior season leading the Leopards with 8.6rpg (fourth in the Patriot League) and 24 blocks (first in the Patriot League).
Lafayette snapped its two game losing skid against Loyola Chicago, 66-55, on November 27. Guard Linnel Macklin and Emily Homan led the way with 12 points apiece, while Danielle Fiacco was a rebound shy of her second consecutive double-double, finishing with 11 points and nine boards.
Tonight's game marks the fourth all-time meeting between the programs, and the first since the 2008-09 season. Lafayette has won the past two meetings after dropping the first matchup in 2006.
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 Michael Ventola, as well as an in-game real-time stat feed. Coverage begins at 6:45 a.m. with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
