The NJIT women's basketball team will look for its first win of the 2017 season before the Thanksgiving break when the Highlanders visit Army West Point at Christl Arena. Tipoff is slated for 5pm.
All-Time Series
NJIT and Army will meet for just the second time in program history. Army defeated NJIT, 71-35, on December 11, 2015.
Patriot League Network
The game will be streamed on the Patriot League Network.
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.
Scouting Army West Point
Army comes into Wednesday's contest with a 2-2 record after defeating LIU Brooklyn, 71-37, on Monday night.
The Cadets look to pick up their third home win of the 2017-18 campaign. Since Feb. 4 of last season, Army is 7-1 at Christl Arena.
Army ranks inside the top three in the Patriot League in assists per game and has dished out double-digit assists in all four games. Over the past three outings, the Black Knights have assisted on 68 percent of their made shots.
Army's scoring this season has come predominantly from its six senior cadet-athletes. The group has accounted for 56 percent of the team's points and has put up the most points out of all the other classes in each of the four games.
Janae McNeal started and had eight points, five assists and four rebounds in Army's last meeting with NJIT.
Patriot League
Junior Madison Hovren was selected Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year. Hovren, a six-time league player of the week selection a season ago, leads the Black Knights' squad that shares the top spot in the Patriot League Preseason Poll with Bucknell. Each team received seven first-place votes.
Hovren averaged 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game just a season ago. This season, she has combined for 15.3 ppg, notching double-digit scoring in all four games, with a season-best 20ppg.
Scouting the Highlanders
NJIT has played in back-to-back close games with hopes to break its winless streak against the Black Knights on Wednesday at 5pm. The last two contests have been decided by seven points or fewer.
The Highlanders are led by senior forward
Taj Lewis, the lone player averaging double-digits at 10.8 ppg. Lewis ranks third on the team with 5.5 rpg. In the last two games combined, Lewis has totaled 31 points and 16 rebounds.
Tatianna Torres, named to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team ranks second on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game.
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.
