NEWARK, NJ–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).
Game Information
Tip off is slated for 6pm inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center on ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.
All-Time Series
Colgate leads the all-time series, 4-3. The Highlanders have won the last two out of three meetings, including a 71-53 victory on December 14, 2018 in Hamilton, NY.
Last Time Out
NJIT's Alejandra Zuniga led the Highlanders with a team-best 17 points but it wasn't enough as Norfolk State defeated visiting NJIT, 71-64, in non-conference women's basketball action inside Joseph G Echols Memorial Hall.
In addition to Zuniga's team-best 17 points, Trinity Williams netted 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Maria Fux shared game-high honors with Spartans Makoye Diawara, grabbing seven rebounds. As a team, the Highlanders out rebounded the Spartans, 34-to-28, paced by Fux (7), Williams (5) and Zuniga (5). Senior Kendle Dalrymple, who hails from Virginia Beach, VA, finished with six points.
The five assists and five rebounds by Zuniga is a new personal-best mark.
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
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 - 11.6ppg
Rebounding: Lyzi Litwinko - 5.6rpg
Assists: Lyzi Litwinko & Kenna Squier (17)
Blocks:Trinity Williams (12)
FT%: Kenna Squier - 82.1%
FG%: Trinity Williams - 60.0%
Scouting Colgate
Colgate, like NJIT, enters Wednesday on a three-game skid, looking to bounce back into the win column.
Most recently, the Raiders dropped a 62-48 decision against Harvard on December 3.
The last time Colgate picked up a victory came against defending America East Conference champions UAlbany, 55-41, on November 19.
In the 2022-23 Patriot League Preseason Poll, the Raiders were picked seventh overall, which is three spots higher than where Colgate landed in the 2021-22 preseason poll. The Raiders finished 6-24 a season ago.
The Raiders bring back five starters in senior Alexa Brodie, junior Tiasia McMillan, and sophomores Taylor Golembiewski, Sophia Diehl, and Morgan McMahon.
Golembiewski, the lone Raider averaging double-digits, paces the team with 14.0ppg and 5.1rpg to go along with 12 steals. The 5-foot-8 guard has netted double-digit scoring in five out of seven contests this season with a season-best 22 in the season opener vs. Cornell (11.7.22).
Colgate has two players – Alexa Brodie and Morgan McMahon who are averaging 8.7ppg and 8.6ppg respectively.
Next Up
NJIT will conclude the non-conference slate on the road, visiting Saint Peter's (Dec. 10) and Wagner (Dec. 17) before opening up the America East Conference slate on December 29 against New Hampshire.
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.
