NJIT Highlights at Maine | 1.9.21
ORONO, ME--America East Conference preseason favorite Maine topped visiting NJIT, 77-60, Saturday afternoon in America East women's basketball action inside Lundholm Gymnasium.
Maine (7-1 overall, 4-1 America East) had two players reach 20+ points, combining for 46 of Maine's 77 total points. The Black Bears were led by Midseason Watch List for 2021 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award Blanca Millan with a double-double, 24 points and 12 rebounds followed by Anne Simon with 22 points.
NJIT (2-9 overall, 2-5 America East) was paced by senior captain Ellyn Stoll's team-best 18 points on 5-of-9 from the field (2-for-5 from three-point range). Stoll finished 6-for-7 from the free throw line.
In addition to Stoll's 18 points, Lilly Anderson scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench in 10 minutes of action. The 11 points for Anderson is a new career-high.
Freshman Lyzi Litwinko and sophomore Maria Fux each added seven points while three Highlanders -- Litwinko, Anderson and Kennedy Cash.
Maine jumped out to an early 6-1 lead paced by Millan with four points at the 7:40 mark. NJIT scored six straight, behind five points from Fux, as the Highlanders went ahead by one, 7-6, into the first media timeout. The Black Bears finished on an 11-5 spurt, including a three-pointer by Millan at the buzzer to take a seven-point lead, 18-11.
Maine extended its lead to double digits, 11, 27-16, after six straight from Millan three minutes into the second period, resulting in an NJIT timeout at the 6:30 mark. Simon scored the final six points of the period for the Black Bears, heading into the half with a 39-21 advantage.
At the half, Maine's Millan led all scorers with 18 points while NJIT's Fux led the Highlanders with seven points followed by Stoll with six.
Stoll got the Highlanders going in the third quarter, scoring 11 of NJIT's first 15 points of the third quarter, cutting the Black Bears lead to five, 41-36, at the 5:30 mark. Maine scored four straight, pushing its lead back up to nine, 45-36.
NJIT battled back to slim the Black Bear lead to five, 45-40, after a pair of free throws by Lyzi Litwinko with 3:23 on the clock. Maine scored the next nine points and extended its lead to as many as 15, 59-44, at the end of the third period. Stoll notched 11 points in the quarter followed by six from Anderson.
"I was really proud of the third quarter -- we challenged Maine as we discussed at halftime," head coach Mike Lane added. "We came out strong and had it down to 45-40 but unfortunately, it went from five to 15 quickly and was out of our hands."
Maine continued its momentum into the final stanza, taking its largest lead of the contest, 29, 75-46, at the four minute mark. NJIT, fighting to the very end, closed out the final 3:30 on a 14-2 spurt, sparked by a pair of free throws by Stoll. In the run, Anderson scored five points and Stoll added four for the Highlanders.
Both teams will be back in action on Sunday at 1pm on ESPN+.
