Game 7	NJIT (4-2, 15-15 in 2021-22) at Monmouth (3-3, 14-16 in 2021-22)
Date | Time	Sunday, November 27, 2022 | 3pm
Location | Arena	West Long Branch, NJ | OceanFirst Bank Center
Live Video	FloSports ($$)
Live Stats	In-game stats (free)
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | Monmouth Notes

NEWARK, NJ–NJIT will conclude its two-game road swing on Sunday at 3pm when the Highlanders visit Monmouth at the OceanFirst Bank Center in West Long Branch, NJ.

Game Information
Tipoff is slated for 3pm inside the OceanFirst Bank Center with in-game statistics available on MonmouthHawks.com.

All-Time Series
Monmouth leads the all-time series, 3-0.  The first time the two teams met was in the 2006 season, then again in 2007 and most recently last season in Newark.  The Hawks came out on top 62-53. 

4-2 Start This Season
The 4-2 start to the 2022-23 season is the best start since the 2012-13 season.

Nov. 7 | W, NJIT 68, Rider 60
Nov. 11 | L, Lafayette 62, NJIT 58
Nov. 13 | L, Rutgers 87, NJIT 71
Nov. 16 | W, NJIT 56, St. Francis BK 49
Nov. 19 | W, NJIT 71, CCSU 65 (OT)
Nov. 22 | W, NJIT 57, LIU 50

Winners of Three in a Row
The Highlanders have won three straight games, beginning with a pair of home victories over St. Francis Brooklyn, an overtime victory at home against CCSU and a comeback win at LIU, which saw the Highlanders down by as many 12 in the first quarter.

Balanced Scoring 
In the last three contests, NJIT has had three or more players reach double-digits and in the last two games at least one Highlander combined for a double-double.  In the win over CCSU, Trinity Williams recorded a personal-best with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Reaching Season-High Total Points at Big Ten Rutgers & CCSU
The 71 points scored at Rutgers on November 13 and at home in overtime against Central Connecticut State on November 19 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.

Freshman from Spain - Alejandra Zuniga
NJIT freshman Zuniga netted a career-best 23 points despite dropping a 87-71 road loss at Big Ten opponent Rutgers Sunday.  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).

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
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.

NJIT Leaders
Scoring: Aria Myers - 13.8ppg
Rebounding: Lyzi Litwinko - 6.0rpg
Assists: Kenna Squier (12)
Blocks:Trinity Williams (11)
FT%: Kenna Squier - 79.2%
FG%: Trinity Williams - 58.5%

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.  

Scouting Monmouth
Monmouth, which just recently wrapped up a four-game road swing will return home for a pair of home contests, first welcoming NJIT on Sunday at 3pm.

The Hawks are coming off a loss at Brown on a last second free throw with eighth of a second left on the clock to claim the 70-69 road victory.  Kaci Donovan paced the Hawks with a career-high 22 points and five rebounds while Belle Kranbuhl had nine points and a season-high 13 rebounds. Ariana Vanderhoop chipped in eight points and five assists. 

Monmouth has three players averaging from 12.5ppg to 12.2ppg – James Madison graduate transfer Bri Tinsley (12.5ppg), Kaci Donovan (12.3ppg) and Lucy Thomas (12.2ppg).  Tinsley has dished out at least two or more assists through the first six games of the season, including a season-best eight vs. Sacred Heart.  Thomas paces the Hawks on the boards averaging 6.2rpg followed closely behind by Belle Kranbuhl at 6.0rpg.

The Hawks are embarking on its first season as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).  Last January, Monmouth University announced a department-wide move to the Colonial Athletic Association. Monmouth Women's Basketball is set to play in its first season in the CAA, with MU's fall sports already finding success in its new home with CAA regular season titles won by women's soccer and field hockey.

Next Up
NJIT will return home and conclude the month of November, hosting Fairleigh Dickinson from the Northeast Conference.  Tipoff is slated for 7pm inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.