Post Game w/ Coach Lane
NJIT Highlights vs. Hartford
NEWARK, NJ—Hartford's Ella Awobajo scored a game-high 20 points, as the visiting Hawks cruised past NJIT, 84-53, in non-conference action at NJIT's Wellness and Events Center Sunday afternoon.
Hartford registers its second straight win of the season, improving to .500 on the season (7-7) while the Highlanders move to 3-10 on the year.
Awobajo, coming off a career-best 27 points against Central Connecticut State, scored a game-high 20 points and pulled down eight rebounds against the Highlanders. She finished 8-for-17 from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity strip.
Preseason America East All-Conference honoree Lindsey Abed scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, shooting 4-for-8 from downtown followed by Sierra DaCosta, who finished with 13 points and a game-best seven assists.
NJIT was led by graduate student
Kelly Guarino's 12 points while
Milena Bajic came off the bench to score 11 points in 19 minutes of action. Graduate student
Tatianna Torres just missed posted double-figures, finishing with nine points. Junior forward
Danielle Tunstall was one rebound shy her career best mark (14) rebounds.
Guarino, who netted a trio of three-pointers Sunday, became the first Highlander player to break into the ASUN Conference top 10 in three-pointers made, draining her 220
th against Hartford. Guarino is two three-pointers shy the NJIT all-time record (222).
Hartford took control early, jumping out to a 10-0 lead, behind four points by Ella Awobajo. NJIT's
Milena Bajic broke the Highlander draught just under the five-minute mark. Visiting Hartford used a 10-6 spurt to close out the first quarter for a 20-8 lead.
NJIT inched its way back to begin the second quarter on a 7-3 run, after a layup by
Tatianna Torres at the 8:01 mark, cutting the lead to within eight, 23-15, forcing a timeout by Hartford. The Hawks scored the final basket of the quarter, heading into the half with a 30-18 advantage.
Hartford's Awobajo led all scorers at the half with 15 points while NJIT's Bajic paced the Highlanders with seven points off the bench while
Jillian Libby led the first half with seven rebounds.
The visiting Hawks extended its lead to 41-20, thanks to an 11-2 run to open the third quarter. NJIT's Torres went coast-to-coast, nearing double-digits (nine points) at the 7:22 mark. NJIT's
Ellyn Stoll connected on second three-pointer of the contest with 1:33 to play as the Hawks closed out the quarter with a 61-33 advantage.
The ASUN Conference schedule opens the New Year, hosting Kennesaw State on January 5.
Tip-off is slated for 1pm in the Wellness and Events Center as part of a doubleheader with the NJIT men, tipping off at 4pm against the Owls.
The Highlanders will play their final 15 games in the ASUN.
