VIDEO: NJIT Highlights at UAlbany
TROY, NY–Defending America East Champion UAlbany topped visiting NJIT, 73-54, Saturday afternoon in America East women's basketball action at Hudson Valley Community College.
UAlbany, winners of six in a row, remains undefeated in league play at 6-0, 12-8 overall while the Highlanders move just below .500, 8-9 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
The Great Danes were led by Helene Haegerstrand's game-best 28 points followed by Morgan Stanley who combined for 20 points.
NJIT was led by freshman Alejandra Zuniga's team-best 11 points on 5-of-9 from the field, recording two rebounds, two steals and two assists in 19 minutes of action off the bench.
Senior Kenna Squier became the 12th player in NJIT women's basketball history (fifth in the NJIT Division I era) to reach the 1,000 career-point milestone, netting nine points on 4-of-4 from the field while adding four steals and two rebounds.
Sophomore Trinity Williams chipped in eight points and six rebounds.
NJIT held an early 4-2 lead but UAlbany used an 11-2 spurt to extend the Great Danes lead to 13-7 at the 1:34 mark and pushed ahead by as many as 11 after the first 10 minutes, 22-11.
To open the second quarter, NJIT scored the first seven points in the opening five minutes cutting the UAlbany deficit to five, 22-17, capped by a pair of free throws by Trinity Williams. Alejandra Zuniga connected on a three-pointer to slim the lead to as many as five, 25-20 at the 4:11 mark. UAlbany pushed its lead back up to double-digits, 12, 33-24, with less than two minutes to go. The Highlanders scored the final four points to pull within eight after the first 20 minutes, 36-28.
NJIT only trailing by eight to start the third quarter, found themselves down by as many as 20+ as the Great Danes exploded for 26 points to take a 62-42 lead, heading into the final stanza.
The Great Danes took its biggest lead of the game 27, 73-46 at the 4:06 mark in the fourth quarter but the Highlanders playing hard to the very end scored the final eight points of the game sparked by a three-pointer from Grace Plummer, a Maria Fux three-pointer and a fade away jump shot by Avery O'Roke in the final seconds.
NJIT will return home and host Education Day on January 18 at 11:30am against Bryant. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
