VIDEO: NJIT Highlights at FDU
HACKENSACK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team moved back into the win column behind a game-best 21 points from Alejandra Zuniga en route to a 61-46 road victory at FDU in women's basketball non-conference action Wednesday evening inside Stratis Arena.
NJIT moves to 5-3 on the season while FDU falls to 1-6. The Highlanders, which had dropped the last eight meetings against FDU, snapped its losing streak with the road win over the Knights.
Zuniga finished 8-of-10 from the field and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Kenna Squier reached double-figures, netting 15 points to go along with a career-best seven steals and five rebounds. Squier tied the NJIT Division I single-season game record with seven steals and becomes NJIT's Division I era all-time leader with 157 steals.
Trinity Williams and Aria Myers added seven apiece. Williams paced the Highlanders on the boards with nine followed by Myers (6), Mackenzie Wright-Rawls (5) and Squier (4).
As a team, NJIT finished shooting 45.7 percent from the field (21-for-46) and 88.9 percent from the free throw line (16-of-18).
FDU's Teneisia Brown combined for a double-double 17 points and 11 rebounds to go along with five steals.
NJIT scored the first five points of the game and increased the Highlanders lead to as many as seven behind a 6-0 run over a span of 2:39 for a 14-7 lead at the three-minute mark. FDU went on an 8-2 spurt in the final 2:32 to pull within one, 16-15.
The Highlanders scored the first nine points of the second quarter, giving the visitors a double-figure lead, 25-15, at the 6:21 mark. Zuniga scored seven points in the NJIT run. FDU closed out the first half on a 10-4 spurt, including a three-pointer at the buzzer, cutting the NJIT deficit to within four, 29-24.
Zuniga led all scorers with 13 points followed by Squier (7) while Trinity Williams grabbed a team-best five rebounds through the first 20 minutes.
NJIT opened up the third quarter on a 14-2 run, extending its lead to as many as 16, 43-27, with less than five minutes to go. The Knights went on a quick 5-2 spurt, slimming NJIT's lead to 13, 45-32, capped by a three-pointer from Staci Williams. NJIT finished the third quarter shooting 60 percent from the field and with a 14-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 51-37.
FDU closed the Highlander gap midway through the fourth quarter, pulling within 12, 55-43, with less than five to go. NJIT scored the next six straight to take its biggest lead of the contest, 18, 61-43, with 1:31 on the clock.
Next Up
NJIT will visit first-time opponent Miami who reached the 2023 NCAA Elite Eight on December 3 at 12 Noon on ACCNX/ESPN+. The Hurricanes are receiving votes in the latest USA Today Women's Basketball Poll.
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