WATCH: NJIT Highlights vs. North Florida
NEWARK, NJ—North Florida's Arianna Emanuel-Wright scored a game-high 18 points, leading four double-figure scorers for the Ospreys in a 78-59 victory over NJIT in ASUN Conference action on Saturday afternoon at NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
In pregame ceremonies, first-year head coach Mike Lane and the NJIT women's basketball team recognized Kelly Guarino, who scored her 1,000-point at Liberty on February 2 in Lynchburg, VA.
The Ospreys won its second straight game and have now won the last four-out-of-five games, moving to an even 6-6 in the ASUN, 11-12 overall while the Highlanders drop its eighth straight, and stand at 2-9 in the ASUN, 5-19 overall.
Emanuel-Wright, the Osprey's senior guard, finished shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line while adding seven rebounds.
Junior forward Dasha Eremeeva scored 16 points on 6-of-10 from the field followed by 10 points each from Adrienne Jackson and Jazz Bond. Senior guard Ty Purifoy added eight points and dished out a game-best nine assists.
The visiting Ospreys held a slight 39-31 advantage on the glass, paced by Jackson and Bond with eight rebounds apiece.
NJIT's Dez Allen, who came off the bench for the Highlanders, netted a team-best 13 points in 23 minutes of action. The sophomore forward shot 4-for-7 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free throw line.
Guard Ellyn Stoll registered 12 points followed by 10 points each from graduate student Kelly Guarino and junior forward Danielle Tunstall. Graduate student Tatianna Torres added eight points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the Highlanders. The eight assists ties Torres career-best mark accomplished against Rutgers-Newark on December 28, 2016.
NJIT scored the opening basket of the game and the Highlanders fell behind early, 10-4, but quickly worked its way back into the game, cutting the Osprey deficit to two, 16-14, after on of two made by Tunstall. A layup by Guarino at the 2:06 mark sparked the Highlanders 7-3 spurt. North Florida used a 6-2 run to close out the first quarter, taking a six-point advantage, 22-16.
The visiting Ospreys took a double-figure lead, 10, 28-18, at the 6:11 mark of the second quarter after a 7-2 spurt. The home team fought back and slimmed the Osprey lead to three, 35-32, after a 12-5 run, capped by a fast-break layup by Allen. North Florida scored the last six points of the quarter, taking a 41-32 lead at the half.
North Florida took its largest lead of the game, 24, 67-43, but the Highlanders answered closing out the third stanza on a 9-0 run, thanks to six points from Torres, for a 67-52 score.
The Highlanders fought to the final buzzer, cutting the Osprey lead to within 11, 68-57, the closest the home team would get as North Florida finished the game on a 10-2 run, securing a 78-59 victory.
NJIT will have a quick turnaround and host Stetson on Tuesday at 7pm inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
