NEW YORK—Junior forward Tori Oliver registered her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, leading four double-figure scorers in Columbia's 72-52 victory over visiting NJIT Monday evening at Levien Gymnasium in the final non-conference contest for both teams.

Columbia won its fifth straight and its sixth in the last seven seven contests, improving to 11-4 on the season, while the visiting Highlanders drop to 3-13.

Oliver, a second-team all-Ivy League honoree as a sophomore, scored a game-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor, while also grabbing a game-best 11 rebounds. The 6-foot forward added four assists and two steals for the Lions.

The Lions held a 56-to-36 advantage on the glass.

Junior forward Devon Roeper added 13 points and 8 rebounds for Columbia, followed by 12 points and 8 rebounds from sophomore Alex Giuliano. Freshman Josie Little notched 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks from in 20 minutes of action off the bench for the Lions.

Visiting NJIT was led by junior guard Olivia Dudley, who matched her career-best with 15 points and 4 assists.  Dudley, who made her third start of the season, scored 15 points in the Highlanders 2015 season opener at Binghamton on November 14, 2015.  Dudley finished 6-for-14 from the field and 3-of-7 from three-point range.

Junior guard Camerin Spahn came off the bench to score 10 point,s while point guard Alana Dudley chipped in nine.

Columbia scored the first basket of the night, but the Highlanders would score the next eight straight, sparked by back-to-back three-pointers by Olivia Dudley and Kelly Guarino to take an early 8-2 advantage.

The Lions responded with eight unanswered of their own to regain the lead, 10-8, with 4:44 left to play in the first quarter.

The Highlanders went on another spurt, 7-2, to go ahead 15-12, with 1:26 left to play in the opening quarter.  Columbia then scored the final five points of the quarter to hold a 17-15 advantage through one,

The home team opened the second quarter on a 7-3 spurt, taking a 24-18 advantage before NJIT's Olivia Dudley answered with her second three-pointer of the game, pulling the visitors to within three, 24-21, at the 6:40 mark.

Columbia went ahead by seven, 28-21, with less than five minutes to play before the half, but NJIT's point guard Alana Dudley sank three straight free throws, slimming the lead to 28-24 with 2:15 left on the clock.  Columbia's Giuliano sank a three-pointer just under the two-minute mark to help give the Lions an eight-point lead, 32-24, heading into the half.

Oliver was one rebound-shy a double-double, heading into the half with 10 points and 9 rebounds while NJIT had three players each with six points—Alana Dudley, Olivia Dudley and Kelly Guarino.

Trailing 32-24 at the half, NJIT's Olivia Dudley scored the first basket of the third quarter, but the Lions would take its largest lead of the game, 36-26, on consecutive baskets. 

The Highlanders responded with a three-pointer by Olivia Dudley and a jumper in the paint by Leah Horton, cutting the lead down to five, 36-31, at the 6:47 mark.

Columbia scored five straight to go ahead 41-31, but the Highlanders battled back with five straight points, pulling to within five of the Lions, 41-36, at the 3:20 mark.  The Lions capped a 9-0 spurt to close the third quarter with a 50-36 advantage, sparked by an Oliver layup at the 2:43 mark.

Columbia's momentum continued through the fourth quarter, as the Lions pushed their lead to 20 and never looked back, securing the 72-52 non-conference victory.

The Highlanders will make its first trip to Florida as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference to face Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast.  NJIT will first visit Stetson on Saturday at 1pm followed by a 7pm tip at Florida Gulf Coast next Monday.  Both games will be streamed live on ESPN3.