Game 1	NJIT (0-0) at South Dakota State (1-0)
Date | Time	Friday, November 10, 2017 | 6pm (CT)
Location | Arena	Brookings, SD| Frost Arena
Live Video | Live Audio	N/A
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Social Media	@njithighlanders
All-time series	SDSU leads 3-0
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | SDSU Game Notes

NJIT will open the 2017-18 season on the road Friday, November 10 at South Dakota State.  Tip is scheduled for 6pm (CT) 7pm (ET).

With a win on Friday…
--NJIT will record its first all-time win against South Dakota State
--NJIT will begin the season 1-0 for the second consecutive season 

ALL-TIME SERIES
South Dakota State leads the all-time series, 3-0.  In the last meeting, South Dakota State defeated NJIT, 71-46 on December 2, 2013.

NJIT OUTLOOK
The Highlanders, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Steve Lanpher, finished the 2016-17 season with 11 wins (second highest win total in the last three seasons).

Top returner Tatianna Torres, a 2017 Preseason ASUN All-Conference honoree, started in 29 of 30 games last season, ranking tied for second on the team with 10.3 points per game, increasing that average to 12.1 in ASUN action.

The redshirt junior from Arlington, Virginia, led the ASUN with 2.4 steals per game last season, including a NJIT Division I program record seven vs. Chicago State.  Her 67 steals on the season is an NJIT D1 single-season record.

Torres recorded 14 double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 23 points against Howard (Dec. 16th).

Sophomore forward Danielle Tunstall, a 2017 ASUN All-Freshmen team selectee, averaged 6.7 ppg (fifth on the team) and 6.3 rpg (first on the team) last season.  Her 6.3 rpg ranked eighth in the ASUN.

Tunstall netted double-digit scoring in eight games, including a personal-best 19 points against St. Joseph's Brooklyn.  In the final seven games, Tunstall recorded double-digit scoring in four-out-of-seven games and combined for three blocks in three-out-of-seven games.

Three-point specialist Kelly Guarino led the Highlanders with 57 three-pointers made last season.

WELLNESS AND EVENTS CENTER
NJIT will host 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 CONFERNECE
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.

SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
The Jackrabbits, who have won at least 20 games in the last six seasons (23 in 2016-17), advanced to the second round of the 2017 Women's NIT, falling short in overtime against Colorado.

South Dakota State returns three starters from last year's team that finished 23-9 overall and advancing to the second round of the Women's NIT, marking the 11th postseason appearance.

A trio of Jackrabbits were named to the Preseason Summit League All-Conference team – senior Ellie Thompson and juniors Macy Miller and Madison Guebert.

Thompson, the lone forward on the first team, earned her third preseason honor and second consecutive first-team honor after picking up second-team accolades in 2015-16. The senior averaged 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season. Thompson also shot a team-high 50.5 percent from the field and 71.9 percent from the foul line.

Miller earned first-team honors for the third consecutive year. The two-time All-Summit League honoree and Summit League All-Tournament selection and MVP was the league's preseason Player of the Year last season. The junior averaged a team-leading 14.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 per game assists while shooting 53.8 percent from the field, 50 percent from 3-point range and 77.8 percent from the foul line in nine games last year. She suffered a season-ending injury Dec. 9, 2016.

The Jackrabbits' and The Summit League's top 3-point threat, Guebert, earns her second preseason honor after appearing on the second team last year. The junior led the league and SDSU in 3-pointers (98) and 3-pointers per game (3.1) while leading the team in scoring (15.3) and free-throw percentage (85.6).

SUMMIT LEAGUE
Seven-time tournament champion South Dakota State edged out Western Illinois as the favorite to claim The Summit League Championship in the annual preseason poll. The Jackrabbits garnered 16-of-28 first-place votes (380 points).

USA TODAY PRESEASON POLL
For the third time in school history, South Dakota State received votes in the USA Today Sports Coaches' preseason poll as of October 27.  The Jackrabbits received six votes.  The last time South Dakota State received preseason votes was November 9, 2009.

COLLEGEINSIDER MID-MAJOR POLL
As of October 31, South Dakota State was selected fifth in the preseason poll.  The Jacks picked up six votes in the October 22 Coaches Poll, marking the Jacks third consecutive season the programs received votes in the poll.

UP NEXT
Two days later, the Highlanders will visit North Dakota State on November 12 and seek NJIT's first all-time win against the Bison.  Tip is set for 1pm.  The teams last met in 2015-16 in Newark.