NJIT Highlights vs. Vermont

Post Game Report with Coach Lane

NEWARK, NJ—Junior forward Hanna Crymble scored a game-high 26 points to lead, visiting Vermont, to a 71-63 victory at NJIT Sunday afternoon in non-conference action at NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.

The Catamounts snap a two-game skid, improving to an even 4-4 record on the young season while the Highlanders drop its third straight, moving to 1-8 on the year.

Crymble, standing at 6-foot-3, finished the game 10-of-16 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.  Her eight rebounds was a game-best, as the visitors held a slight 36-to-34 advantage on the glass.

Lauren Handy scored 14 points off the bench for Vermont followed by Rose Caverly (13) and Candice Wright (10).  Wright, Caverly and Lauren Handy connected on a pair of three-pointers each.

Junior Milena Bajic scored a season-best 17 points to pace the Highlanders, shooting 8-for-17 from the field, including six rebounds.  Graduate student Kelly Guarino and sophomore guard Ellyn Stoll added 13 points apiece.

Four different Highlanders – Jillian Libby, Guarino, Danielle Tunstall and Dez Allen pulled down six rebounds.  Ellyn Stoll dished out five assists and two steals to lead the home team.

The first quarter, which saw four ties, seesawed back-and-forth, with the home team, taking its biggest lead of the quarter, three, after a layup by Danielle Tunstall to end the quarter, giving the Highlanders a 17-14 advantage.  NJIT's Bajic scored nine points in the opening 10 minutes of action.

Vermont opened the second quarter on a 9-2 run, fueled by Crymble scoring the first four points. The Catamounts took a five-point lead with three minutes left in the quarter off a Sarah Wells three-pointer. The Highlanders cut that lead to one, 26-25, late in the half but Lauren Handy hit triple in the final forty seconds to give Vermont a four-point cushion at halftime, 29-25.

Bajic led all scorers at the half with 13 points while Crymble paced the Catamounts with 10 points.

To begin the third quarter, the Catamounts used a 6-2 run to push their advantage to 10, 37-27, capped by a fast break layup by Wells.

Midway through the third quarter the Highlanders cut the lead to four, 44-40, after a layup by Libby, but a Crymble jumper and Caverly's second three-pointer of the quarter helped give Vermont a 49-42 advantage into the fourth quarter.

NJIT used an 8-2 spurt to open the fourth quarter, sparked by bucket in the paint by Guarino, cutting the Catamount lead to within four, 54-50, with less than eight minutes to play.

Vermont's Caverly completed a three-point play at the 6:50 mark, pushing the visitors lead to seven, 57-50, and never looked back.  The Catamounts took its largest lead of the game, 15, 70-57, after a pair of free throws made by Crymble.

The visitors scored 15 points off turnovers and poured in 17 points off the bench.  NJIT netted six points off second chance and fast break.

NJIT will return to action on Sunday at 2pm when the Highlanders visit LIU Brooklyn.