Box Score

NEWARK, NJ– Junior forward Martina Matejcikova scored a career-high 18 points, but it came in a valiant effort, as the NJIT women's basketball team dropped a 75-56 decision to Harvard in a rare Wednesday afternoon contest at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

The game was a matinee meeting as part of the special Education Day event, as students from several Newark area schools were in attendance.

The Crimson improved to 11-4 overall, while the Highlanders dropped to 5-16 after falling for the fourth time in their last five games.

Four Harvard players scored in double figures as the Crimson took the lead midway through the first half and held on from there. Junior forward Temi Fagbenle led Harvard with 17 points, with Erin O'Donnell and Jasmine Evans scoring 13 each and Christine Clark adding 10.

Graduate student Shakia Robinson added 13 points for the Highlanders, who also received 10 points each from junior guard Kim Tullis and freshman forward Ruta Vetra.  The 10 points for Vetra is a new career-high.

The Highlanders took an early 8-4 lead on consecutive 3-point field goals from Tullis and Matejcikova with 17:17 remaining in the first half. Only 17 seconds separated the baskets that gave NJIT the lead.

But Harvard answered by scoring the next nine points over a 2:03 span, with Erin McDonnell's layup capping the run with 15:06 left before halftime, giving the Crimson a 13-8  lead.

NJIT countered by scoring the next five points, tying the game at 13-13 on a three-point play from Vetra with 13:45 left.
"She has a lot of ability," NJIT head coach Steve Lanpher said of Vetra. "She's beginning to figure it out and has played well the last three games. It's nice to see her contribute."

The Highlanders actually took a brief 15-13 lead on a jumper from Matejcikova with 13:12 left.

"Martina has learned to stay on the floor and away from fouls," Lanpher said. "She's come on to become our primary scorer."

Harvard then scored the next seven points to take the lead for good at 22-15, capped by a 3-pointer from Evans.

The Crimson led by as many as 14 (37-23) in the first half, before the Highlanders trimmed the lead to 43-35 at the break.

Fagbenle led Harvard with 10 points at the break, while Vetra and Matejcikova had nine each for the Highlanders.

NJIT sliced the lead to six twice in the second half, both on acrobatic driving shots from Matejcikova, but the Highlanders could get no closer.

"The second half, we got it down to six, but then they really began to wear us down," Lanpher said. "We played our hearts out. They just wore us out. They had 21 offensive rebounds and we can't give a very good team that many extra chances. I thought they were the best team we've played this year."

Evans nailed a long 3-pointer to give the Crimson a 59-43 lead with 9:22 remaining.

"I liked our effort," Lanpher said. "I liked our fight. We just didn't do enough."

The Highlanders return to action Saturday afternoon, when they play host to Dartmouth at 2 p.m. at the Fleisher Athletic Center.

Courtesy James Hague