FLORENCE, AL—ASUN Conference leading scorer Brittany Panetti scored a game-best 26 points, leading North Alabama to a 72-60 victory over, visiting NJIT in ASUN Conference action Saturday afternoon at Flowers Hall.

North Alabama moves to 11-2 overall, 2-1 in the ASUN while the visiting Highlanders fall to 4-11 overall, 1-1 in the ASUN.

Panetti, who scored 26 points, shot 10-for-17 from the field and 6-of-9 from the free throw line, including nine rebounds, one-shy a double-double.  Emma Wallen scored 19 points and recorded a game-best nine assists.  As a team, the Lions dished out 17 assists.

NJIT was led by graduate student Kelly Guarino's 19 points on 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range.  The guard from Thiells, NY, finished a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.

Tatianna Torres added 13 points and five rebounds for NJIT while forward Danielle Tunstall recorded her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 11 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and notching a personal-best four blocks.

After a North Alabama 7-2 start to open the contest, visiting NJIT used a 9-0 run, sparked by one-of-two made by Torres at the 8:23 mark, taking its first lead of the game, 10-7, capped by a three-pointer by Kelly Guarino. 

The Lions answered on the next possession and took a six-point lead, 19-13, after a pair of free throws by Panetti.  Guarino knocked down three straight free throws, slimming the lead to three, 19-16, but North Alabama's Ivy Wallen hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to close out the quarter, 22-16.

North Alabama continued its momentum in to the second quarter on a 5-0 spurt, extending its lead to double-figures, 11, 27-16.  Down by as many as 13, 32-19, NJIT rallied back to cut the Lion deficit to five, 36-31, with 2:19 to play.  Torres connected on a last-second jumper at the buzzer to close the half and pull NJIT within five, 38-33.

At the half, North Alabama's Brittany Panetti led all scorers with 16 points on 7-of-12 from the field while grabbing five rebounds while NJIT's Guarino and Torres each netted 11 points to pace the Highlanders.

North Alabama scored the first five points of the third quarter for a 10-point advantage, 43-33 but NJIT scored four quick points, cutting the lead to within six, 43-37, after a jumper in the paint by Danielle Tunstall.  The Lions led by as many as 11, 54-43, after a pair of free throws by Ivy Wallen but the Highlanders scored four straight for a seven-point game, 54-47.

Neither team scored in the opening 1:20 of the fourth quarter until a three-pointer by Kenysha Coulson, bringing the Lions in-front by 12, 59-47.  NJIT's Guarino slimmed the Lions deficit to nine, 61-52, sinking a three-pointer from the left wing at the 7:35 mark.

NJIT did not go away easily, as the Highlanders mounted a 7-0 run, sparked a three-pointer by Ellyn Stoll at the 3:26 mark, including baskets from Torres and Dez Allen as the Lions led, 67-59, with less than two minutes to go.

NJIT will host Lipscomb in a Tuesday matinee at 11:30am in ASUN Conference action on Education Day in NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.  Last season, Lipscomb swept the regular season series.