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VIDEO: NJIT Highlights
VIDEO: Post Game Interview with Mike Lane and Ellyn Stoll
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NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team swept the season series from UMass Lowell, pouring in 27 fourth quarter points in the Highlanders 58-51 win at home over the River Hawks in a pivotal America East Conference victory Monday evening inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
NJIT, which bounces back into the win column, moves to 14-12 overall, 9-6 in the America East while UMass Lowell moves to 9-14 overall, 6-8 in the America East. With the season series sweep against UMass Lowell, NJIT will hold the fourth-seed in the America East Conference Tournament next month.
The Highlanders were led by graduate student Ellyn Stoll who netted a game-best 19 points on 4-of-7 from three-point range, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
Lyzi Litwinko just missed notching a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, shooting 5-for-9 from the field.
Aria Myers came off the bench to score nine points, pull down four rebounds and dish out four assists in 30 minutes of action. The nine points is a season-best mark.
As a team, NJIT shot 43.5% from the field (20-for-46), 46.2% from three-point range (6-for-13) and 75% from the free throw line (12-for-16).
UMass Lowell had two players reach double-figures paced by Shamyjha Price with 11 points and Ivory Finley with 10 points in 27 minutes of action off the bench.
The River Hawks took a 14-9 lead after the first 10 minutes and both teams went back-and-forth in the second quarter with the Highlanders trailing by six, 24-18. In the third quarter, NJIT outscored UMass Lowell, 13-10, and poured in a 27-point fourth quarter to secure the 58-51 home victory.
NJIT used a 5-2 spurt in the opening five minutes, capped by a three-pointer by Maria Fux for a 7-4 advantage. UMass Lowell used a 14-2 run over the next 9:09, taking a 18-9 lead at the 6:40 mark of the second quarter.
Stoll scored NJIT's first points of the second quarter on a three-pointer from the top of the key, which started a 7-2, cutting the deficit to four, 20-16, with two minutes remaining in the quarter.
UMass Lowell held a six-point lead, 24-18, heading into the half paced by a game-high seven points from Shamyjha Price. NJIT's Aria Myers led NJIT with four points.
The Highlanders used a 7-0 run in the third quarter sparked by a three-pointer by Stoll, who scored five points in the run, at the 7:21 mark as NJIT slimmed the River Hawk lead to three, 28-25. NJIT finished off the quarter on a 6-2 run, cutting the deficit to three, 34-31.
NJIT's Maria Fux knotted the game at 34-all knocking down her second three-pointer of the game and the Highlanders took its first lead of the game, 36-34, on a layup by Lyzi Litwinko. NJIT pushed it lead to as many as seven, 49-42, on an 8-0 run capped by Stoll at the 2:24 mark. The River Hawks pulled to within four, 55-51, but the Highlanders closed out the game from the free line.
NJIT will wrap up its road America East Conference schedule on Wednesday at New Hampshire. Tip-off is slated for 6pm on ESPN+. In the first meeting of the season, NJIT defeated the Wildcats, 64-48, in Newark on February 9.
