BURLINGTON, VT—Freshman
Tracey Brereton broke a 45-45 tie on a layup with 1:01 left in the game and scored the final eight points for NJIT, as the Highlanders defeated LIU Brooklyn, 50-48, in the consolation game of the TD Bank Classic hosted by Vermont at Patrick Gymnasium.
NJIT returns back to the win column after, dropping its previous two games, improving to an even 3-3 on the young season while the Blackbirds, still searching for its first win in 2016, falls to 0-6.
The game, which saw seven lead changes and four ties, was tied for the last time on Saturday, 45-45, after a bucket by Brereton.
The freshman guard from Matawan, NJ, put the Highlanders ahead, 47-45, with 1:01 on the clock, pulling down an offensive rebound after a missed Highlander shot and putting back the go-ahead bucket.
With five seconds left to play, Brereton came up with another big play for the Highlanders, grabbing her career-best third rebound and sank a pair of free throws, giving the Highlanders a four-point advantage, 49-45.
LIU Brooklyn called a timeout, advancing the ball to mid-court, and capitalized on a three-pointer off the glass by Shanovia Dove, slimming the Highlander lead to within one, 49-48.
The Highlanders inbounded the ball with two seconds and were immediately fouled, sending Brereton back to the line. She connected on one-of-two, for a 50-48 advantage and NJIT held on for its third win of the season.
Brereton finished with a personal-best 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field, 6-for-12 from the free throw line and netting the Highlanders last eight points of the game in 11 minutes of action of the bench.
Senior guard
Alana Dudley, named the the TD Bank Classic all-Tournament team, paced the Highlanders with 11 points and game-best three assists for the Highlanders. Sophomore
Jordan Ireland, another Highlander, stepping up in the victory, scored nine points in 14 minutes of action off the bench, surpassing her old personal-best mark of eight points against Fairleigh Dickinson on November 21.
Forward
Leah Horton pulled down a team-best seven rebounds and added six points while freshman
Danielle Tunstall followed with six rebounds.
LIU Brooklyn was paced by senior guard Shanovia Dove, a preseason all-NEC selectee, with a double-double –15 points and 10 rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Drew Winter was the other Blackbird double-figure scorer with 10 points followed by Brianna Farris with nine points and eight rebounds.
The Blackbirds held a 14-6 lead after the first quarter but the Highlanders fought back and outscored LIU Brooklyn in the second stanza, 16-14, with the Blackbirds leading, 28-22, heading into the half.
The third period was played close throughout, with neither team leading by more than five. After a jumper by LIU Brooklyn's Gabrielle Caponegro, thirty-five seconds into the quarter, the Blackbirds went ahead 30-25. The Highlanders used an 8-0 run to go ahead 33-30 with 4:34 left to go.
NJIT's Ireland knocked down a three-pointer with less than three minutes to play, giving the Highlanders a four-point lead, 38-34. The Blackbirds scored four straight points from the free throw line, knotting the score at 38 and held a one-point lead, heading into the fourth period, 41-40.
The Highlanders, who are in a stretch of four games away from Newark, will return to action on Wednesday at Lehigh at 7pm. NJIT will look for its first all-time win against the Mountain Hawks. Lehigh leads the all-time series, 10-0.
