Game 30	#5 NJIT (11-18, 4-10 ASUN) at #4 Kennesaw State (9-19, 8-6 ASUN)
Date | Time	Friday, March 3, 2017 | 7 p.m.
Location | Arena	Kennesaw, GA | KSU Convocation Center
Live Video | Live Audio	ESPN3, streaming telecast (WatchESPN app, www.WatchESPN.com) Nathan McCreary(play-by-play); Mariah Chandler (color); Autumn Johnson (sideline reporter)
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Social Media	@njithighlanders
All-time series	Kennesaw State leads, 4-0
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | Kennesaw State Notes

  NEWARK, NJ—The fifth-seeded NJIT Highlanders (11-18, 4-10 ASUN) will face the fourth-seeded Kennesaw State Owls (9-19, 8-6 ASUN) in the ASUN Conference Quarterfinals on Friday night at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia, with opening tip slated for 7 p.m.

NJIT closed out the regular season by erasing a 13-point deficit in a 70-66 win over visiting USC Upstate on Saturday afternoon, while Kennesaw State exploded for 67 second-half points in the second half en route to a 96-69 victory over Lipscomb.

A year ago, the eighth seeded Highlanders dropped their first ever ASUN Conference postseason game to the top-seeded FGCU Eagles, 60-31.

ASUN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
The eight-team, three-round ASUN Women's Basketball Tournament spans from March 3-12 and will be held on campus sites.

The winner of Friday's game advances to the ASUN Semifinals slated for Wednesday, March 8. The semifinals and final will be held at the site of the highest remaining seed after quarterfinal action is completed.

ESPN3
The game will be shown live on ESPN3.

A simple way to find ESPN3 is on NJIT's official athletics website, 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.

Nathan McCreary, the voice of the Owls, is on play-by-play with expert analysis from Mariah Chandler in addition to sideline reporter Autumn Johnson.

NJIT HIGHLIGHTS
--NJIT enters its second all-time ASUN Tournament as the No. 5 seed at the No. 4 Kennesaw State
--NJIT won its last regular season game, 70-66, in a come-from-behind victory on Senior Day against USC Upstate
--With the win over USC Upstate, the Highlanders snapped a five-game skid
--With a win on Friday at Kennesaw State, NJIT will record its first-ever win over the Owls in five meetings
--With a win on Friday, NJIT will record its 12^th victory of the season (second high-best win total in the last three seasons for the Highlanders)

ALL TIME SERIES
Friday's game marks the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams, with Kennesaw State leading the series, 4-0.  In the last meeting in Newark, Kennesaw State senior guard Deandrea Sawyers notched a double-double, scoring a game-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Owls to its fifth straight win in a 66-56 victory.

Kennesaw State used a 15-2 spurt to open the fourth quarter and combined for 30 points in the final stanza, securing a 75-64 victory on February 2.

In the first all-time meeting in 2015-16, Kennesaw State topped NJIT, 64-48, in Kennesaw, Georgia, while the two teams played a double-overtime contest in Newark on February 6, with the Owls coming out on top 82-77.

In the double overtime loss, the Highlanders, despite playing without leading scorer and rebounder Leah Horton, who was out with an injury, gave a valiant effort behind career-best performances from sisters Alana Dudley (24 points) and Olivia Dudley (18 points), before, falling to Kennesaw State.

A LOOK AT KENNESAW STATE
The Owls, winners of the last two out of three games, most recently defeated Lipscomb, 96-69, in the final regular season game, paced by Clara Young, who nearly recorded a quadruple-double.  Young, the Owls junior guard, netted 16 points, grabbed 13 rebounds (career-high) in addition to nine assists and eight steals (both career high marks).

Reigning ASUN Conference co-Newcomer of the Week, freshman forward Carlotta Gianolla, is coming off a strong week, averaging 24.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg while shooting 59.5 percent from the field.  Gianolla recorded back-to-back 20+ games for the first time in her career against Lipscomb (29 points, 8 rebounds) and Jacksonville (20 points, 13 rebounds).

Gianolla and senior Deandrea Sawyers pace the Owls both averaging 12.0 ppg.  Sawyers has recorded 14 double-digit games, including a 15-point and 21-point performances against Jacksonville and Lipscomb.  Gianolla tops the team at 6.5 rpg, which ranks the freshman sixth in the conference.

Young is the team leader with 93 assists (third in ASUN) and her 46 steals rank (sixth in ASUN).  Guard Kelly Dulkoski has connected on 40 three-point field goals followed by Young (37) and Sawyers (30).

A LOOK AT NJIT
On Saturday afternoon, senior guard Alana Dudley hit a jumper with 2:34 left to give NJIT the lead for good as the Highlanders came back from a 13-point deficit to top USC Upstate, 70-66.

Dudley gave NJIT their first lead of the game at 67-66 when she knocked down a jumper in the paint with 2:34 to play.

In fact, NJIT scored the final seven points of the game, sparked by a layup from freshman Danielle Tunstall at the 3:18 mark and Horton scored the final three points of the game, securing the Highlanders 70-66 victory.

Three Highlanders finished in double-figures led by senior forward Leah Horton's 18 points.  Horton converted a crucial bucket with the shot clock winding down with 1:20 left to go, to give the Highlanders a three-point cushion, 69-66.  NJIT's Tunstall and Tatianna Torres netted 13 points each.

NJIT has three players averaging double-digits – Dudley (11.4 ppg), Torres (10.3 ppg) and Horton (10.2 ppg).

Dudley's 106 assists ranks the senior third on the NJIT D1 single-season record list, 21 shy the current record, 127, held by Alyssa Albanese.

Torres, the ASUN leader with 66 steals (2.4 spg), also holds the NJIT D1 single-season record.