NEWARK, NJ  – Senior guard Alyssa Albanese scored a career-high 24 points, including a clutch running lane jumper with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, sending the game into overtime and leading  NJIT to a 57-50 overtime victory over St. Francis Brooklyn at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center Tuesday night.

With the win, the Highlanders improve to 2-3 on the young season, while the Terriers drop to 1-3.

In the overtime, the Highlanders scored first on a pretty feed from Albanese to sophomore forward Leah Horton, taking their first lead since the first half.

The Highlanders then put the game away down the stretch, outscoring the Terriers, 13-6, in the extra session.

Besides Albanese, the Highlanders received nine points and 15 rebounds from sophomore forward Leah Horton. The 15 rebounds is a personal-best for the 6-foot-1 forward.  Sophomore guard Alana Dudley added nine points, five of which came in the extra session.  Senior Kim Tullis contributed eight points and nine rebounds for the winners.

The Terriers received 17 points Eilidh Simpson and 12 points and nine rebounds from Jaymee Veney.

The Terriers took early command of the game and never trailed in the first half.

Veney scored on consecutive power moves down low, giving St. Francis an 8-3 lead in the opening minutes.

The Highlanders sliced the lead to 19-17 on a 3-point field goal from Albanese, but the Terriers held command courtesy of their prowess from the free throw line.

St. Francis connected on all 10 of its free throw attempts in the half, with Simpson hitting all four of her tries en route to 11 first half points. The Terriers held a 25-19 halftime lead.

Albanese paced the Highlanders with eight points. The Highlanders were just 8-of-26 from the floor (30 percent) in the first half and just 2-of-11 from 3-point range (18 percent), yet trailed by only six at the break.

Veney connected on a move down low to give St. Francis its biggest lead at 32-22 with 16:04 left in regulation.  

Albanese drained her second 3-pointer of the game with 14:25 remaining, enabling the Highlanders to cut the lead to 35-29. The diminutive point guard was singlehandedly keeping the Highlanders in the game.

But the Terriers scored the next six points, capped by 3-pointer from by Alex Delaney, to take a 40-29 advantage with nine minutes remaining.

The Highlanders then made another comeback, drawing to within four at 42-38 on two free throws by Kim Tullis with six minutes left.

Albanese made two free throws with 4:44 left, cutting the St. Francis lead to 42-40.  Albanese later extended the game with 10 seconds left in regulation with a driving shot in the lane, sending the game to overtime.

The Highlanders will now head to Florida to play in the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament Friday afternoon at 12 noon, facing the host school. Northeastern and North Dakota State, a foe from NJIT's first season of Division I competition in 2006-07,  are the other two teams in the tourney.

The Highlanders return home Tuesday, December 2, when they play host to Wagner at 7 pm.

Game report courtesy of Jim Hague