NJIT will play its second game in a span of three days when the Highlanders visit Lafayette on Sunday at 2pm in Kirby Sports Center.
The Highlanders are coming off a 74-62 road loss against powerhouse Seton Hall from the BIG EAST Conference Friday evening.
NJIT looks to get back into the win column after dropping its last four contests. In a stretch from November 25 to December 6, the Highlanders won four of ive contests sparked by a home overtime victory against Saint Francis Brooklyn (57-50) followed by a 65-57 win over host Florida Atlantic in the opening round of the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament. The only loss in the stretch came at the hands of North Dakota State in the championships game of the FAU Tournament. NJIT returned to Newark after the Thanksgiving break and won its next two—Wagner (60-54) and Binghamton (52-48) before dropping four consecutive.
After the game at Lafayette, the Highlanders will break for a week and return in South Carolina when NJIT visits Clemson on December 29 and tip off the New Year at Wofford, also in South Carolina, on January 2. NJIT returns home to Fleisher Family Court on January 4, when the Highlanders play the first of three straight at home, first hosting Chicago State at 2pm.
NJIT and Lafayette have played one common opponent thus far, Seton Hall, with the Leopards dropping an 80-63 decision to the Pirates on December 7 in South Orange, NJ.
Lafayette enters Sunday's contest with a 5-4 overall mark, 3-0 at home, under the direction of fifth-year head coach
Dianne Nolan. The Leopards are coming off a heartbreaking loss, 60-58, at Stony Brook Friday night, as Leopards
Linnel Macklin's last second three-pointer was off the mark.
The Leopards hold a 3-1 all-time record against the Highlanders. Last season, in Newark, Lafayette held NJIT under 30 percent shooting, and won 61-45, led by
Emily Homan's game-high 18 points.
Lafayette, 14-16 a year ago, was selected to finish seventh in the Patriot League after an 8-10 mark in conference play. Homan, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, was named to the Preseason all-Patriot League team, after leading the Leopards last season in scoring (13.7ppg) and double-doubles (7).
Three Leopards are averaging double-figure scoring, led by Homan's 17.8ppg. Guards
Jamie O'Hare (13.4ppg) and
Linnel Macklin (10.3ppg) are the other two double-figure scorers. O'Hare tops the team in three-point field goals made (23) while Macklin is shooting 89 percent from the free throw line (23-for-26).
Ashley Lutz, a 6-foot-1 forward, paces the Leopards on the glass with (8.2rpg) while Homan leads the team in blocks (10).
The Highlanders are led by two double-figure scorers—sophomore forward
Leah Horton (10.9ppg) and senior point guard
Alyssa Albanese (10.8ppg). Horton leads the Highlanders on the glass, averaging (7.3rpg) while Albanese has dished out a team-high 54 assists and 17 steals.
Sophomore guard
Alana Dudley, who has played in every game (13) including five starts, is averaging 9.6ppg and tops the team in three-point field goals made with 14. Center
Nicole Maticka is shooting a team-best 47 percent from the floor (37-for-72) and is the team leader with 27 blocks.
Michael Ventola will have the live streaming audio play by play call on www.njithighlanders.com
