VIDEO: NJIT Highlights
PISCATAWAY, NJ–NJIT freshman Alejandra Zuniga netted a career-best 23 points despite dropping a 87-71 road loss at Big Ten opponent Rutgers Sunday afternoon in women's basketball non-conference action inside Jersey Mike's Arena.
The 71 points scored at Rutgers is a season-best for the Highlanders and the most points scored since last season when the Highlanders defeated UMBC (72-58) on January 12, 2022. To open the season, NJIT scored 68 points and defeated Rider, 68-60, on November 7.
Zuniga, the Highlanders 5-foot-6 guard, finished the contest, shooting 8-for-13 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe in 20 minutes of action off the bench. The 23 points scored by Zuniga, who hails from Madrid, Spain, are the most points by an NJIT freshman since the 2019-20 season when Kenna Squier scored 21 points vs. Saint Peter's (12.4.19) and Stetson (1.27.20).
In addition to Zuniga, junior Aria Myers, who is coming off a career-best 23 points vs. Lafayette on Friday evening, chipped in 13 points followed by Trinity Williams (8), Kenna Squier (7) and Lyzi Litwinko (6).
Rutgers had five players reach double-figures paced by a team-best 18 points from Kassondra Brown while Erica Lafayette, Awa Sidibe and Kaylene Smikle each registered 13 points and Chyna Cornwell, who just missed notching a double-double, combined for 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Scarlet Knights held a 50-to-30 advantage on the glass paced by Cornwell (9). The NJIT top rebounder was 5-foot-8 guard Litwinko who pulled down five.
NJIT jumped out to a quick 6-2 spurt but the Scarlet Knights used a 12-3 run to close out the first 10 minutes ahead 14-9. Squier knocked down a three-pointer in front of the Rutgers bench for the Highlanders only points in the final 5:20.
Sophomore Grace Plummer's driving layup to start the second period cut the Rutgers lead down to three, 14-11. Rutgers went on a 12-2 run in the final 3:03 to head into the locker room with a 41-25 advantage. Plummer led the Highlanders with five points followed by Squier, Myers and Zuniga each chipping in four points. Sidibe led all scorers with 11 points.
Rutgers pushed its lead up to as many as 20, 45-25, to begin the third period but NJIT's Maria Fux sparked five straight for NJIT, sinking a three-pointer and a Myers jumper in the paint cut the deficit to 15, 45-30, just under the eight minute mark. The Scarlet Knights took its biggest lead of the contest, 26, 59-33, at the 2:10 mark.
Trailing 64-40, NJIT exploded for 31 fourth-quarter points, outscoring the Scarlet Knights 31-to-23. NJIT battled back and used a 12-0 run to trim the Scarlet Knight lead to 14, 68-54, at the 5:16 mark capped by a layup in the paint by Williams.
NJIT which battled to the end was led by Zuniga in the final minute as the freshman scored the last six points for the Highlanders as Rutgers secured its second win of the season with an 87-71 home victory.
Rutgers dished out 17 assists, shot 20-for-21 (95.2%) from the free throw line and 31-for-59 (52.5%) from the field.
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.
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