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The NJIT women's basketball team, which stands in second place in the Great West Conference,  hosts Houston Baptist on Saturday, February 16 at 2pm in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.  Saturday's contests will be “PINK DAY” - Celebrating Women in Athletics.
 
NJIT, 11-15 overall, 3-2 in the Great West and 8-4 on Fleisher Family Court, had its three-game winning streak snapped at Utah Valley in a 64-47 loss on February 9. 
 
Utah Valley and NJIT came into the contest with a 3-1 conference records, with the winner taking sole possession of first place in the Great West standings.  Utah Valley improved to 10-13 overall and sit atop at 4-1 in the conference.
 
The Highlanders, who received one first-place vote in the Preseason Great West Conference women's basketball poll, totaled 19 points for second place, finishing behind Great West Conference favorite Utah Valley.  Houston Baptist rounded out the ballot receiving seven points.
 
NJIT, which first started competing against Houston Baptist in 2009-10, holds a 6-1 all-time record vs. the Huskies, with its lone loss coming on February 17, 2011 in Houston (71-66). 
 
In the last meeting between the two teams, every player on the NJIT roster appeared in the final box score as third-seeded NJIT topped sixth-seeded Houston Baptist, 61-42, in the opening round of the 2012 Great West Conference women's basketball championship tournament hosted by Chicago State on March 8.
 
Senior Rayven Johnson, a Preseason Great West Conference first-team honoree, is averaging a double-double with 15.8ppg and 10.1rpg (ranks 18th in the nation).  The senior has posted 12 double-doubles on the season and 23 for her career, while registering double-figure scoring in 21 out of 26 games this season.    
 
NJIT's second leading scorer is junior Uju Nwankwo, the Highlanders athletic forward and a Preseason Great West Conference second-team honoree. 
 
Nwawnko is averaging 7.0ppg and is second with 7.0rpg.  Nwawnko has at least one block or one steal in 23 out of 26 games.  Nwanwko leads the GWC in blocked shots with 47 (ranks 38th in the nation with 1.9bpg) and fifth in the conference in rebounding.
 
Sophomore Sarah Olson ranks third on the team with 6.4ppg.  Olson ranks third in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (40-108 - .370) and third in three-pointers made (40).
 
Point guard Alyssa Albanese leads the Highlanders with 67 assists (ranking sixth in the conference, 2.3apg).
 
Houston Baptist Notes
After losing leading scorer Shanice Steenholdt and finishing 1-27, 0-10 in the conference last season, the Huskies come to Newark this season with a 4-19 overall record, 0-3 in the conference.
 
The Huskies have lost their previous six contests after defeating New Orleans, 60-45, on January 12. The most recent defeat came at Lamar (76-44) on Wesdnesday, despite a game-high 23 points and a career-high three treys from Shanice Steenholdt.
 
Houston Baptist is led by its only double-figure scorer, Steenholdt, who averages a double-double with 17.3ppg, 10.0rpg, ranking the sophomore 18th nationally.  She has also combined for 35 blocks and 55 steals.
 
Taylor Jefferson is second on the team with 9.3ppg, while leading the Huskies with 34 three-pointers made (33 percent), and is 51-58 on the season from the free throw line (88 percent).
 
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 1:45 p.m. with tip-off set for 2 p.m