Game 3	NJIT (1-1, 15-15 in 2021-22) at Rutgers (1-1, 11-20 in 2021-22)
Date | Time	Sunday, November 13, 2022 | 2pm
Location | Arena	Piscataway, NJ | Jersey Mike's Arena
Live Video	B1G+
Live Stats	In-game stats (free)
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | Rutgers Notes

 

NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will head down the New Jersey Turnpike and face first-time opponent Rutgers from the Big Ten Conference on November 13 inside Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway.  

Game Information
Tipoff is slated for 2pm inside Jersey Mike's Arena on B1G+ with in-game statistics available on ScarletKnights.com.

All-Time Series
Sunday will mark the first all-time meeting between the two institutions. 

Last season, the NJIT women's basketball team picked up its first Big Ten program win on the road at Wisconsin, 61-49, on November 14, 2021, paced by 14 points each from veterans Ellyn Stoll and Kenna Squier.

Last Time Out - Home Opener vs. Lafayette (Nov. 11)
NJIT junior Aria Myers scored a career-high 23 points in the Highlanders home opening loss against visiting Lafayette Friday evening inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center in women's basketball non-conference action.

Myers, a 5-foot-9 guard from Cedar Grove, NJ, set a career-best, netting 23 points on 9-of-16 from the field, 3-of-7 from three-point range and 2-of-3 from the free throw line.  

In addition to Myers' game-best 23 points, Lyzi Litwinko chipped in eight points and three rebounds followed by sophomore Trinity Williams who added seven points, five rebounds and two blocks.

2022 Opening Road Win at Rider
With the 68-60 road victory at Rider on November 7, 2022, marked the first time since 2016-17 NJIT opened up the season 1-0.

Nov. 12, 2016 vs. Wagner | W, 68-45 

Flash Back to 2021-22 Season
NJIT finished the season with a 15-15 overall record.  The 15 wins are the second-highest win total since moving to Division I (2006-07 season). 

The Highlanders, competing in its second season in the America East, were selected eighth in the preseason coaches poll and recorded a program-best nine wins to earn the No. 4 seed in the 2022 America East Conference Playoffs.  

NJIT hosted the first-ever America East Conference quarterfinal game on March 5, registering the program's first America East victory and postseason win (NJIT 47, UMass Lowell 33) in over 10 seasons.

The eight road wins is also a new program-best for the Highlanders.

#ProtectTheWEC
NJIT will play 13 games (five non-conference; eight America East) inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.  

The last time NJIT hit the hardwood inside the WEC was the 2021 America East Conference Quarterfinals on March 5 when Highlanders defeated the River Hawks from UMass Lowell, 47-33, to advance to the America East semifinals for the first time in program history.

The seven wins at home inside the Wellness and Events Center in 2021 are the most wins at home by the Highlanders since the facility opened in 2017-18.

Highlander Co-Captains
The NJIT women's basketball team has selected senior Kenna Squier and junior Lyzi Litwinko to serve as team captains for the 2022-23 season.

Squier, a 5–foot-9 guard from Branchville, NJ, was selected to the America East Conference third team last season.  Squier topped the Highlanders last season in scoring 11.1ppg and steals with 44.  Her 11.1ppg ranked 13th in the America East. She combined for 20 double-digit games, including a career-best 24 points in NJIT's overtime win at Maine on January 2, 2022. Squier finished the season ranked fifth in free throw percentage (.745), seventh in minute played (32.7), eighth in steals (1.5) and 12th in blocked shots (0.7) in the America East.

Litwinko, a two-time America East Conference honoree (Third team in 2021-22; All-Rookie team 2020-21), ranked third on the Highlander squad a season ago, averaging 10.7ppg while leading the team with 7.1rpg.  

The 5-foot-8 guard ranked fourth in the America East in rebounding and recorded three double-doubles, including a new personal-best mark of 22 points at Binghamton on January 22, 2022.  Her 13 rebounds at Binghamton matches her personal-best mark (vs. New Hampshire in 2021). In addition to ranking in the top four in rebounding in the America East, Litwinko ranked sixth in free throw percentage (.732), 13th in minutes played (30.9) and 18th in assists (2.1).

New Kids on the Block .. Full Release
The NJIT women's basketball team added a trio of high school standouts – Avery O'Roke (Winchester, VA), Kyleigh Welsh (Clearwater, FL) and Alejandra Zuniga (Madrid, Spain), who joined the Highlanders in the Fall of 2022.

On the Sidelines
Earlier this summer, fifth-year head coach Mike Lane announced the addition of Colleen Moriarty and Payce Lange as Assistant Coaches.  Moriarty and Lange will join fifth-year Assistant Coach Aaron Gratch and Anyssa Sanchez who will begin her third season as Director of Basketball Operations on the sidelines.

America East Conference
NJIT will begin its third season in the America East and will play a schedule of 16 conference games against the other eight schools.  The Highlanders became the 10th full member of the America East on July 1, 2020.

The Highlanders were predicted to finish fourth out of the nine league teams in the preseason coaches poll.  Full Release

Scouting the Scarlet Knights
Rutgers enters Sunday's contest with a 1-1 record, most recently dropping a 75-57 loss at home on Friday evening against Seton Hall.

The Scarlet Knights started off the 2022-23 slate with a big 73-68 win over Hofstra (0-1, 0-0) on Monday, Nov. 7. The victory marked the first for head coach Coquese Washington since taking over at the helm in May. 

Awa Sidibe recorded a career-high 16 points in addition to nine rebounds to lead the team. Kai Carter also recorded 16 points while Erica Lafayette, Chyna Cornwell and Abby Streeter added 11 points apiece.  

On Friday evening, Awa Sidibe (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Chyna Cornwell (10 points, 10 rebounds) recorded their first double-doubles of the season as the Rutgers women's basketball team (1-1) fell to Seton Hall (2-0), 75-57.

The trio of Chyna Cornwell, Erica Lafayette and Awa Sidibe will suit up in Scarlet & White once again this season, returning to the roster.  The Scarlet Knights welcomed three transfers during the offseason in Kassondra Brown (Saint Peter's), Kai Carter (UNC Ashville) and Abby Streeter (Rhode Island & Hartford).  

A season ago, Rutgers finished 11-20 overall, 3-14 in the Big Ten and are under the new leadership of Coquese Washington. Originally from Flint, Michigan, she enjoyed a 12-year run as the head coach at Penn State, where she led the Lady Lions to three consecutive Big Ten Titles, becoming one of four programs in conference history to win three or more regular-season crowns in a row. 

Stay Connected
Stay up to date during the NJIT Women's Basketball season by following @NJITWBB on Twitter and Instagram and liking the NJIT Women's Basketball page on Facebook.

Next Up
NJIT will play a pair of consecutive games at home first welcoming St. Francis Brooklyn on November 16 (7pm) and Central Connecticut State on November 19 (1pm) as part of a doubleheader with NJIT men's basketball.