NEWARK, NJ--NJIT and Fairleigh Dickinson will play a home-and-home series this weekend with the Highlanders visiting the Knights on Friday, December 11 in Hackensack at the Rothman Center and on Saturday, December 12 NJIT will host Fairleigh Dickinson in Newark inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center, marking the first home game of the season for the Highlanders.
Game Information
Friday and Saturday's non-conference series is set to tip off at 7pm on both days.
Friday's game will be streamed live on the NEC Front Row Network while Saturday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+. In-game statistics will also be available for both games. Links will be available on www.NJITHighlanders.com.
A simple way to find ESPN+ is on NJIT's official athletics website, www.njithighlanders.com. Near the middle of the home page under the headlines section, an upcoming events calendar lists scheduled NJIT contests. After finding the event, click the camera icon to the left of the event listing. That brings you to an ESPN+ portal where you can access the desired program.
All-Time Series
Fairleigh Dickinson leads the all-times series, 9-4. The Knights have won the last four meetings, most recently a 68-59 decision in Newark last season. The last time the Highlanders were victorious against the Knights dates back to November 19, 2014, a 68-64 win in Hackensack.
Last Time Out for NJIT
NJIT split the opening America East Conference weekend series at New Hampshire as the Wildcats used a late 14-2 run in the fourth quarter to hold on for a 59-53 victory over the visiting Highlanders Sunday afternoon at Lundholm Gym.
The America East schedule format consists of weekend series (Saturday and Sunday) where a team hosts the same opponent on back‐to‐back days for two games. The Highlanders registered its first America East victory on Saturday, December 5, defeating the Wildcats, 78-57.
For NJIT, Ellyn Stoll and Kenna Squier led the Highlanders for its second straight game, combining for 12 points apiece. Stoll finished 4-for-9 from the field, 4-of-8 from three-point range while Squier went 5-for-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from the free throw line. Squier dished out a team-best four assist.
America East Rookie of the Week
Freshman guard Lyzi Litwinko was selected America East Conference Rookie of the Week the league office announced on Monday.
In a 1-1 week for the Highlanders, Litwinko averaged 6.5ppg and 5.0rpg in two conference games, making 50 percent of her three-point shots.
She scored 11 points, notching four rebounds and three assists in NJIT's first America East Conference game – a 78-57 win over New Hampshire.
On Sunday against the Wildcats, the 5-foot-8 guard, led the Highlanders on the boards with six.
Scouting Report: NJIT Highlanders
NJIT is led by two double-figure scorers -- Ellyn Stoll (13.3ppg) and Kenna Squier (12.3ppg).
Stoll and Squier have notched double-figures in two of the first three games this season, including a season-best 19 points in the Highlanders win over New Hampshire, 78-57, on December 5.
Litwinko, the 5-foot-8 guard paces the Highlanders on the board with 5.3rpg followed by forward Kimi Evans at 5.0rpg.
2020 Highlander Outlook
Head coach Mike Lane begins his third season at the helm of the Highlanders, after spending six seasons at Bucknell University as the top assistant coach, where he helped guide the Bison to a program-best 27-6 mark, Patriot League title and conference championship while earning a berth to the NCAA Tournament in 2017.
Veteran Ellyn Stoll will enter her senior campaign with 749 career points. Last season, she ranked third on the team at 8.8ppg, including 10 double-digit scoring contests with a career-best 25 points at Kennesaw State (2.29.20). The 5-foot-9 guard paced the Highlanders with 49 three-point field goals.
Redshirt junior Kimi Evans, who played two seasons at Seton Hall, practiced with the Highlanders in 2019-20, but did not compete under NCAA Division I transfer rules. Kimi joins younger sister Dani Evans on the court for the upcoming basketball season.
Sophomore Kenna Squier, an 2020 ASUN All-Freshman team honoree, averaged 10.9 ppg in her first season at NJIT. She registered 16 double-digit games, including the last six-out-of-10 contests and one career double-double (21pts, 10rebs) in NJIT's win over Saint Peter's. Her 80 assists topped the team, including a career-best eight assists at Lipscomb.
Fresh Faces
The Highlanders have added six new faces ahead of the 2020-21 season. All six are true freshmen: Lindsey Syrek, Grace Plummer, Aria Myers, Kiana Brereton, Lyzi Litwinko and Lilly Anderson.
New Home for Highlanders in 2020-21
The 2020-21 season will feature NJIT's first season as a member of the America East Conference. The Highlanders, who became the 10th full member of the America East effective July 1, 2020, will play a full basketball double round‐robin schedule of 18 conference games against the other nine schools. The schedule format consists of weekend series (Saturday and Sunday) where a team hosts the same opponent on back‐to‐back days for two games.
NJIT departs the ASUN Conference after five seasons as a member (first season 2015-16), which marked the first time that the Highlanders had been a full member of an automatic qualifying NCAA Division I multisport conference.
Scouting Report: Fairleigh Dickinson
Fairleigh Dickinson enters Friday's contest with a 1-1 record. The Knights opened the 2020-21 campaign against St. John's and picked up its first win of the season against Binghamton, a member of the America East Conference, 69-55.
Five players scored 10 or more points in the game, led by sophomore Sierra DeAngelo, who netted a career-high 17 points on 7-12 shooting, while also grabbing six rebounds. Freshmen Chloe Wilson and Taylor Crystian also scored career-highs with 15 and 13 points respectively, as both connected on six field goals.
Wilson received Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week honors after scoring 15 points in 16 minutes of action, helping the Knights defeat Binghamton 69-55. For the season, Wilson is averaging 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
After playing two games, Maria Roters paces the Knights in scoring 13.0ppg followed by Sierra DeAngelo at 10.5ppg. Forward Madeline Selvaggi tops the team on the boards averaging 6.5rpg.
The Knights were selected to finish fourth in the NEC Preseason Poll, the highest selection since 2015. Last season, Fairleigh Dickinson finished 13-17 overall, 9-9 in the conference.
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