NEWARK, NJ–After a two-game road swing, the NJIT women's basketball team will return home and host Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday, November 30.
Game Information
Tip-off is slated for 7pm inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.
All-Time Series
Fairleigh Dickinson leads the all-time series 14-4. The Knights have recorded wins in the last seven meetings. NJIT last defeated FDU on November 19, 2014, 68-64.
Last Time Out
NJIT's Aria Myers pull up jumper from the elbow tied the game at 55 at the end of regulation but Monmouth outscored NJIT, 15-7 in the extra period to secure the 70-62 overtime victory inside OceanFirst Bank Center Sunday afternoon in women's basketball non-conference action.
For NJIT, Kenna Squier and Alejandra Zuniga led the Highlanders with 14 points apiece followed by Lyzi Litwinko's 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
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
Highlanders Three Game Win Streak Snapped
The Highlanders three game win streak was snapped at Monmouth on Sunday, November 27 as the Hawks outscored NJIT in the overtime period, 15-7, to secure the 70-61 victory. NJIT's win streak began 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.
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.
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.
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 - 12.7ppg
Rebounding: Lyzi Litwinko - 6.3rpg
Assists: Lyzi Litwinko (15)
Blocks:Trinity Williams (11)
FT%: Kenna Squier - 81.1%
FG%: Trinity Williams - 60.5%
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 Visiting Fairleigh Dickinson
Fairleigh Dickinson comes to Newark on a two-game win streak, owning a 5-2 overall record and winners of their last four-out-of-six games.
Most recently, the Knights defeated Maryland Eastern Shore, 82-41, behind a 23-point performance from Sierra DeAngelo while the team shot 50% from the field.
Junior forward Chloe Wilson paces three double-figure scorers with 15.0ppg followed by Sierra DeAngelo (11.8ppg) and Ella Fajardo (10.9ppg). Wilson tops the team on the glass (6.0rpg) and 10 steals. Wilson has scored in double-digits in six out of seven games, including a season-best 26 points against UIC on November 21.
The Knights, which finished with a 19-12 overall record and 15-3 mark in the NEC a season ago, captured the Northeast Conference regular season title and advanced to the programs third consecutive NEC Tournament appearance.
FDU has been selected to finish second according to the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll and Wilson has tabbed a spot on the 2022-23 Preseason All-NEC team.
Next Up
NJIT will play the next three out of four games on the road, first with the Highlanders traveling to Virginia to tip off against Norfolk State on December 3. Norfolk State was the third NCAA Division I opponent the NJIT women's basketball team competed against (first season of Division I competition, 2006-07), defeating the Spartans, 91-70.
NJIT will welcome Colgate on December 7 before playing the next two games on the road to close out the non-conference slate – at Saint Peter's (December 10) and Wagner (December 17).
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.
