Video Highlights

Post Game Interview

NEWARK, NJ—The NJIT women's basketball team got a program-record 20 rebounds from Leah Horton, who, along with Kelly Guarino scored a team-leading 15 points and the Highlanders notched their first all-time win in Atlantic Sun Conference play, defeating Lipscomb, 61-51, Thursday night in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
 
With the completion of Thursday night's game, the teams have completed the first cycle through the double round-robin A-Sun regular season schedule and the victory for NJIT left the Highlanders at 1-6 in A-Sun play and 4-18 overall, while Lipscomb is 0-7 in the conference and 3-19 overall.
 
Horton, NJIT's junior center, had 18 rebounds through three quarters, which matched the program Division I single-game record set by Rayven Johnson (Class of 2013) when the Highlanders won the championship game of the old Great West Conference on March 16, 2013.
 
Horton broke the record on a defensive rebound with 3:15 remaining in the game and she added her 20th before exiting gingerly with an apparent leg injury with 1:21 on the clock.
 
With her 15 points, Horton notched her second double-double of the season. She shared the team scoring lead with Guarino, the redshirt freshman sharpshooter ,who got her 15 points by making five of her nine 3-point attempts.
 
Guarino's five 3-pointers were her most in a game since she fired in seven triples at Virginia back on December 5. Her season total from downtown is 48 3-pointers, which is the fifth-highest individual total in program history with at least eight games still to play in 2015-16. The record is 77, set by Denisa Domiterova in 2011-12.
 
Point guard Alana Dudley controlled the floor game for the Highlanders, handing out a personal-best 9 assists, one shy of the program DI-record 10, established twice by Alyssa Albanese (Class of 2015) in the 2013-14 season (one against UMass Lowell and once vs. Fairleigh Dickinson). The junior Dudley played all 40 minutes and committed a lone turnover along with the 9 assists, while also chipping in 8 points.
 
Ruta Vetra's performance in her first start of the season did not jump off the page of the box score, but the junior, who was sidelined with a broken wrist that kept her out from December 20 through January 26, was a contributor against Lipscomb.
 
Her veteran presence helped NJIT in executing its offensive plays and her athleticism and energy were a plus on defense, where the Highlanders pressured the ball and closed out on shooters quicker than they typically did in her absence.
 
In beating Lipscomb, the Highlanders won for the first time since December 9 and they snapped a 13-game losing streak that included the 0-6 start in their inaugural season as the newest members of the Atlantic Sun.
 
The Lipscomb Lady Bisons from Nashville, TN, have lost 16 in a row, with their last victory coming on November 28 vs. North Alabama in a tournament hosted by Tennessee State.
 
Lipscomb's redshirt junior forward Alex Banks led all scorers Thursday night, scoring 23 points, followed by senior Chandler Cooper's 14 points. Senior Loren Cagle paced Lipscomb in rebounds (8) and in assists (7).
 
NJIT gained the upper hand early against Lipscomb, grabbing a game-best 12-point lead, 15-3, after Horton made a layup with 28 seconds left in the opening quarter. Banks followed with two free throws 11 seconds later, but the Lady Bisons, who shot just 1-for-12 from the floor, trailed after a quarter, 15-5.
 
Horton and Ronni Grandison each scored 5 for NJIT in the opening frame, while Banks had all 5 of Lipscomb's points.
 
The visitors got their offense untracked in the second quarter, outscoring NJIT, 16-12, to close the halftime gap to 27-21. Banks ended the half with a total of 12 points for Lipscomb, while Horton had 7 points and 10 rebounds, followed by 6 points for Guarino and Grandison still at 5 points.
 
The Lady Bisons had their best quarter in the third period, as they outscored the Highlanders, 18-12, to forge a 39-39 deadlock through 30 minutes.
 
There were four ties in the third quarter, as Lipscomb's Cooper shot 3-for-3 from distance for 9 points and Banks added to her game-high total with 7 third-quarter points. Guarino nailed two more 3-pointers for NJIT, which got single baskets from three other players. Horton pulled down 8 rebounds in the quarter.
 
After Lipscomb missed its first shot of the fourth quarter, Guarino rang the bell for a 3-pointer on the other end and Alana Dudley made one of two foul shots to give NJIT a 43-39 advantage with 7:56 left.
 
The Highlanders did not trail the rest of the way, although Lipscomb got back to within two, 46-44, on a Cagle foul shot with 5:05 remaining.
 
NJIT answered with a traditional 3-point play on a driving power layup and subsequent made foul shot by Horton and then a 3-point basket from Olivia Dudley that extended the lead to 52-44 with 2:48 remaining.
 
Kelli Smith hit a 3-pointer to pull the Lady Bisons back within five points of the lead with 2:28 left, but that was as close as they got and NJIT sealed the win by making six free throws in a 26-second span in the closing minute.
 
With their first A-Sun victory in the books, the Highlanders will turn around and host Kennesaw State on Saturday at 1 pm in the Fleisher Athletic Center. KSU was a 64-48 winner when it hosted the Highlanders in Georgia on January 30.