NJIT Highlights vs. Long Beach State

ESPN3's David Gass and NJIT's Lanpher and Guarino Post Game

Post Game Report with Assistant Coach Bob Dubina

NEWARK, NJ—NJIT's Dez Allen led four double-figure scorers with a career-high 16 points in the Highlanders 73-57 win over visiting Long Beach State in game one of the NJIT Basketball Holiday Tournament at the Wellness and Events Center.

NJIT (2-11) advances to the championship game of the Holiday Tournament against Penn at 5pm on December 29.

The Highlanders led 26-22 at the half opened the second half, exploding for 24 third quarter points to take control 50-35.

Allen finished 4-for-8 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free throw line.  Her eight rebounds were a team-best.  Redshirt junior Kelly Guarino netted 15 points off the bench for the Highlanders, connecting on 4-of-8 from behind the arc and 5-of-10 from the field.

Freshman Ellyn Stoll combined for 14 points, connecting on four three-pointers from behind the arc while Tatianna Torres filled up the box score, netting 13 points, five rebounds, game-high five assists and one steal.

Long Beach State (2-11) was led by Emma Merriweather and Cecily Wilson each netting 12 points each.  Alzena Henry chipped in eight points and grabbed a game-best nine rebounds.

NJIT held an early 8-6 lead, paced by Amarri Trueheart and Tatianna Torres with four points apiece at the 2:58 mark.  Long Beach State used a 5-2 spurt, pulling ahead by one, 11-10, on a three-pointer by Mason VanHouten with 1:22 to play.  NJIT's

Kelly Guarino knocked down her first three-pointer of the contest with eight seconds remaining in the first quarter for a 14-11 lead.

A back-and-forth affair in the second quarter, NJIT closed out the quarter on a 4-1 run, on four free throws by Dez Allen, taking a 26-22 lead at the half.

NJIT's Tatianna Torres led the Highlanders with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field followed by Dez Allen with seven points off the bench.  Long Beach State's Emma Merriweather netted eight points for the visitors.

NJIT outscored the 49ers, 24-13 in the third quarter.  The Highlanders scored the first five points of the third quarter on a three-pointer by Ellyn Stoll and a jumped inside the three-point line by Torres for a 31-22 advantage.  Long Beach State scored seven consecutive, slimming the Highlander lead to two, 31-29.

Stoll's back-to-back three-pointers sparked a 12-0 spurt for the Highlanders, extending its lead 43-29, at the 4:19 mark.  Long Beach State's Alzena Henry broke the ice with a layup out of the under-five minute media.  The Highlanders netted five straight for a 48-31 lead, capped by a three-pointer by Kelly Guarino.  Guard Amber Morgan hit a floater off the glass with one second to end the quarter for a 50-35 lead.

Guarino scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and NJIT kept the game out of reach, taking its largest lead, 26, 63-37, after a pair of free throws by Stoll.