Post Game Interview w/ Lanpher and Dudley

Game Highlights

NEWARK, NJ—Senior guard Alana Dudley hit the game-winning shot with :03 seconds, leading NJIT to a 64-62 victory over visiting North Florida in the Highlanders first ASUN Conference win of the season Saturday afternoon in the Fleisher Athletic Center.

In the fourth quarter, North Florida used a 13-6 run to push ahead 61-55 after a layup by Adrienne Jackson with 3:25 left to play in the game.  NJIT fought back and sank four straight free throws by Kelly Guarino and Leah Horton, pulling within two, 59-61.

North Florida's Hansen hit one-of-two from the free throw line, giving the visitors a three-point lead, 62-59, with 1:09 on the clock.  Torres hit a mid-range jumper to close the gap within one, 61-62 with :59 left on the clock.
 
After a turnover by the Ospreys, NJIT head coach Steve Lanpher called a timeout to setup a play.  Out of the timeout, Dudley sank her second three-pointer of the game, giving the Highlanders a 64-62 advantage.

North Florida took a pair of 30-second timeouts to re-group but a three-pointer by Claire Ioannidis fell short, securing the Highlanders its first ASUN win in 2017.

NJIT (8-9 overall, 1-1 in the ASUN) snapped a two-game skid and picked up its first all-time win against North Florida.  The Highlanders have also won the last four out of five games played on Fleisher Family Court.

Redshirt sophomore Tatianna Torres scored a game-best 19 points to go along with five steals, five rebounds and four assists.  The 19-point performance for Torres is the sixth straight game in double-figures.  Torres finished 7-for-12 from the field and 4-of-8 from the free throw line.

In addition to Torres' 19 points, senior forward Leah Horton combined for 12 points and team-high six rebounds while Dudley and redshirt sophomore guard Kelly Guarino added 11 points.  The duo knocked down a pair of three-pointers apiece in the victory.

Freshman forward Danielle Tunstall added eight points, four rebounds and four steals for the Highlanders.

North Florida (7-10 overall, 0-2 in ASUN) was paced by redshirt junior Tesh Hanson's double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-for-5 from the free throw line.  Freshman guard Adrienne Jackson led the way for the Ospreys with a team-best 16 points while Sierra Shepherd netted nine points.  Ioannidis and Jaiveonna Norris each notched eight points for the visitors.
 
In a game that featured 12 tie scores and 15 lead changes, North Florida's Ioannidis opened the scoring with a three-pointer, which sparked a 7-0 run for the Ospreys.
 
The Highlanders answered with a 9-2 run on back-to-back buckets from Leah Horton, which pushed the Highlander lead to two, 10-8, with 4:34 on the clock.  North Florida went ahead for the third time on a jumper by Ioannidis, 13-10, with less than three minutes remaining in first quarter. 
 
NJIT used a 5-1 spurt to go back on top, 15-14, after a three-pointer by Dudley.  North Florida scored the final three points of the quarter for a 17-12 advantage.
 
Neither team scored in the opening 1:45 of the second quarter until North Florida's Hanson converted an old fashion three-point play at the 8:17 mark, to go up five, 20-15.  The Highlanders scored the next five points for a 20-all game on a layup by Maria Ruban.  The final six minutes went back-and-forth and the Ospreys closed out the half on a 8-1 run, capped by a layup from Hansen for a 30-25 halftime lead.
 
The Highlanders used a 12-5 run to open the third quarter as the Highlanders poured in 24 points and lead by one, 49-48, after Torres knocked down a three-pointer at the buzzer.
 
NJIT will return to action on Monday at 7pm when the Highlanders host No. 55 Jacksonville in the Fleisher Athletic Center.