NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT women's basketball team (0-3) will look for their first win of the season when Saint Peter's Peacocks (1-2) visits the new Wellness and Events Center (WEC) on Sunday evening. The opening tip is slated for 7 p.m.
The WEC is a three story, 220,000-square-foot building that cost $102 M; and the 3,500 seat basketball arena will compare favorably with many Division-I mid-major facilities throughout the country.
The game can be seen on ESPN3 (all home NJIT basketball games can be seen on ESPN3).
A simple way to find ESPN3 is on NJIT's official athletics website, http://www.njithighlanders.com. Near the middle of the home page NJIT TV section, click Upcoming Events for a list of scheduled NJIT contests. After finding the event, click the camera icon to the right of the event listing. That brings you to an ESPN3 portal where you can access the desired program.
Michael Ventola, the voice of the Highlanders, will be on play-by-play with expert analysis from
Dave Calloway.
All-Time Series
Sunday will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the two schools. The last time the two team met was December 11, 2012 when the Highlanders came out on top, 62-35, in Jersey City. The Peacocks last defeated NJIT, 68-52, in 2007 on November 14.
A Look at Saint Peter's
Saint Peter's is coming off a 57-46 home loss to LIU Brooklyn on November 14 at the Steinberg Wellness Center. Senior Forward, Talah Hughes, recorded a double-double with team-high of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Hughes paces the Peacocks with 9.3ppg and 6.7rpg followed by Zoe Pero with 8.7ppg and 6.0rpg.
The Peacocks lone win of the season came against Lafayette, 64-61, on November 12.
MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Saint Peter's was selected 11th in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll. Saint Peter's finished 3-27 overall and 2-18 in conference play in 2016-17. The Peacocks picked up an upset win at Marist last season, earning a win in Poughkeepsie over the MAAC powerhouse team for the first time since 2002.
NJIT Outlook
Despite a strong performance from NJIT senior forward
Taj Lewis, who registered a double-double (21 points, 10 rebounds) visiting Fairleigh Dickinson topped NJIT, 74-70, in the Highlanders inaugural women's basketball game in the new Wellness and Events Center Thursday evening.
NJIT freshman
Ellyn Stoll knocked down her third three-pointer of the game with six seconds remaining, pulling within two, 70-72, but Fairleigh Dickinson's Madelynn Comly hit a pair of free throws to close out the game.
NJIT, still in search of its first win of the season, started out 2017 with a tough trip to South Dakota State and North Dakota State, and most recently dropped a four-point decision at home against Fairleigh Dickinson.
The Highlanders are paced by Lewis, who is averaging 11.0 ppg and 5.3 rpg followed by redshirt junior co-captain
Tatianna Torres with 10.3 ppg and a team-leading 10 assists.
Freshmen
Dez Allen and Stoll have made an immediate impact to the Highlanders starting five. Allen is coming off a strong performance against FDU, in her first collegiate start, netting a career-best 11 points, six rebounds and four assists while Stoll chipped in nine points, all coming in the fourth quarter in the final six minutes of action.
Wellness and Events Center
NJIT celebrated a Ribbon Cutting ceremony on November 10, 2017 to open the new state-of-the-art Wellness and Events Center nicknamed the "WEC" – which will feature a 3,500-seat basketball arena and compare favorably with many Division I mid-major facilities throughout the country, allowing NJIT to continue to grow their men's and women's basketball programs.
The WEC will be three stories high and its north side will be all windows, through which natural light will flood into the building. The tall windows will overlook the new athletic field, which will open in Fall 2018.
ASUN Conference
The Highlanders, who became the eighth full member of the A-Sun effective July 1, 2015, will begin its third season in the ASUN Conference, will have 15 games, home-and-away, against the other seven conference teams, three of which played in the 2017 post-season.
NJIT was selected sixth in the 2017 Preseason ASUN Conference poll, combining for 21 points ahead of USC Upstate (19 points) and Lipscomb (14 points).
After winning last year's ASUN Conference women's basketball championship title, FGCU was picked to repeat by the league's head coaches in the 2017-18. The Eagles garnered six first-place votes among the head coaches in the league, while also being selected first in the media poll.
Up Next
NJIT will make a mid-week trip to Army on Wednesday in West Point, NY. Tip is slated for 5pm.
