Video Highlights
Post Game Comments
NEWARK, NJ – Despite playing without leading scorer and rebounder
Leah Horton, who was out with an injury, the NJIT women's basketball team gave a valiant effort behind career-best performances from sisters
Alana Dudley (24 points) and
Olivia Dudley (18 points), before, falling to Kennesaw State, 82-77, in double overtime, in an Atlantic Sun Conference contest Saturday afternoon at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.
Kennesaw State's Allison Johnson scored five of her 16 points, including two clutch free throws with 32.3 seconds remaining, in the second overtime, and Clara Young drained a three-pointer from the left corner and added two free throws with 23.2 seconds left, giving the Owls (9-14 overall, 4-4 Atlantic Sun) in the hard-fought victory. Young scored all six of her points in the second overtime.
The Highlanders (4-19, 1-7 A-Sun) got a career-best 24 points while, adding eight assists from junior guard
Alana Dudley. Sister
Olivia Dudley posted a career-best 18 points, surpassing her old mark of 15 points at Binghamton (11.16.15) and Columbia (1.11.16) and also added a new personal best five rebounds.
Redshirt freshman guard
Kelly Guarino was tough from the perimeter, connecting on five three-pointers en route to 21 points.
The Owls received 20 points and seven rebounds from senior forward Jasmine McAllister before, fouling out of the contest with 56 seconds left in the first overtime. Kennesaw State guards Kelly Dulkoski and DeAndrea Sawyers each added 14 points.
The Highlanders had a chance to win the game in regulation, but
Olivia Dudley's jumper at the buzzer hit the back of the rim, sending the game to overtime.
After Guarino drained a key three-pointer with 23 seconds left, the Highlanders made two stops on the final possession of overtime to send it to a second extra session.
NJIT's Guarino then hit another trey to give the Highlanders a 70-67 lead with 4:20 left in the second overtime, but then the Owls took over and went on a 10-3 spurt.
Johnson made one of two free throws to slice the lead to 73-72 with 2:04 left in the second OT, then Young hit her big three-pointer with 1:21 left in second extra session, giving Kennesaw State a 75-73 lead. Johnson then drained two free throws with 33 seconds left to push the lead to 77-73, giving Kennesaw its largest lead of the extra sessions.
The Highlanders made a solid comeback from down nine (50-41) in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime.
The Highlanders return to action Wednesday night at Lipscomb with the game starting at 6:30 pm (CT).
NJIT picked up its first Atlantic Sun Conference victory against Lipscomb on February 4 in Newark, 61-51, led by Horton's eighth double-double of the season 15 points and program-record 20 rebounds.
