| Game 18 |
No. 6 NJIT (4-13) at No. 3 UMass Lowell (11-8) |
| Date | Time |
Sunday, February 28, 2021 | 1pm |
| Location |
Lowell, MA |
| Live Video |
ESPN+ ($$) | Kevin Gehl (PBP) and Pam Roeckerp (Color) |
| Live Stats |
In-game statistics (free) |
| All-time series |
UML leads 3-1 |
| Game Notes |
NJIT Notes | UML Notes |
NEWARK, NJ--NJIT women's basketball will make its first-ever appearance in the 2021 Hercules Tires America East Women's Basketball Playoffs on Sunday, February 28 when the sixth-seeded Highlanders visit third-seeded UMass Lowell inside the Costello Athletics Center.
Game Information
Game time is slated for 1pm on Sunday, February 28. The games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with in-game statistics 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.
2021 Hercules Tires #AEHoops Championships
Six teams will compete in the 2021 #AEPlayoffs after four teams opted out of the remainder of their seasons. The postseason is scheduled to start Sunday, Feb. 28.
The format will follow the traditional #AEPlayoffs model with the higher seed hosting games in each round. With six eligible teams, the top two seeds will receive an automatic bye into the semifinals. The quarter finals will take place at the #3 and #4 seeds on Sunday, Feb. 28. The field will be re-seeded prior to the semifinals, which will be hosted by the #1 seed and highest remaining seed from the quarterfinals on Sunday, March 7.
The two semifinal winners will play for the America East title and an automatic NCAA bid on March 12 at the highest remaining seed on ESPNU.
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Maine (12-2) – Seeking third championship in four years and 10th overall
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Stony Brook (9-3) – Second-straight year earning a top-two seed; advanced to championship game as top seed in 2020
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UMass Lowell (10-6) – Second-straight appearance as the three seed; will host a quarterfinal game for the second year in a row
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UAlbany (5-5) – Earn top-four seed for ninth time in ten years
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New Hampshire (5-10) – Top-five seed for sixth time in eight years; seeking first semifinals appearance since 2018
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NJIT (4-9) – Making first #AEPlayoffs appearance
All-Time Series
UMass Lowell leads the all-time series 3-1. NJIT won the first meeting in 2013-14, 87-75, while UMass Lowell has won the last three meetings.
1/3/21 - UML 53, NJIT 47
1/2/21 - UML 58, NJIT 53
3/3/15 - UML 60, NJIT 51
3/4/14 - NJIT 87, UML 75
Last Time Out for NJIT
NJIT, excited to get back on the hardwood, last competed three weeks ago, when the Highlanders visited New Hampshire in a single-game America East Conference series on February 7.
Freshman Lyzi Litwinko combined for her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with six assists against the Wildcats.
Scouting the Highlanders
Litwinko, the Highlanders 5-foot-8 guard, is a five-time America East Conference Rookie of the Week honoree, averaging 8.5ppg and 6.4rpg, including two double-doubles. Litwinko ranks fourth in assists and seventh in rebounding in the America East.
Sophomore guard Kenna Squier paces the Highlanders, averaging 10.5ppg followed by senior Ellyn Stoll with 9.8ppg. Stoll ranks seventh in the America East in three-point field goals made per game while leading the Highlanders from beyond the arc with 26 three-point field goals.
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 UMass Lowell
Third-seeded UMass Lowell will enter the 2021 Hercules Tires America East Women's Basketball Playoffs with an 11-8 overall mark and winners of its last two games. The River Hawks picked up a pair of wins over New Hampshire on Feb. 13-14.
Denise Solis paces the America East in field goal percentage (.566), ranks in the top nine in scoring (11.6ppg) and 13th in rebounding (5.8rpg).
Kharis Idom is the River Hawks other double-figure scorer, averaging 10.1ppg while leading the team with 27 three-point field goals, which is eighth in the league, just below Stoll.
Follow Us
Stay up to date during the 2020-21 NJIT women's basketball season by following @NJITWBB on Twitter and Instagram and liking the NJIT Women's Basketball page on Facebook.
