Game 11	NJIT (5-5, 0-0 AE) vs. Saint Peter's (2-5, 0-0 MAAC)
Date | Time	Tuesday, December 12, 2023 | 7pm
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center
Live Video	ESPN+
Live Stats	In-game stats (free)
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | SPU Notes

NEWARK, NJ–After playing its last five games on the road, the NJIT women's basketball team returns back to Newark to host Saint Peter's on Tuesday.

Game Information
Tip off is slated for 7pm inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center and will be streamed live on ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com

All-Time Series
The all-time series is tied at 5-5.  

NJIT has won the last two in a row against Saint Peter's, including the last three out of four, most recently on December 10, 2022, a 42-38 win in Jersey City.  

Back for her Graduate Year - Kenna Squier
Squier was selected to the America East Conference third team.  She currently T-2nd in the NJIT DI era with 1,248 points (5th all-time), 536 rebounds, 246 assists (5th in NJIT DI era), 162 steals (1st DI era; 8th all-time) and 116 games played/started (T-5th in NJIT DI era).

The guard from Branchville, NJ, tied the NJIT Division I single-game record with seven steals in the Highlanders win at FDU on November 29.

Picking Up Where She Left Off - Alejandra Zuniga
Ready for her second season in a Highlander uniform is Zuniga, who was selected America East Rookie of the Year, became the first player in NJIT women's basketball program history to be named to the accolade, including America East Third Team, America East All-Rookie Team.

The 31 points scored by Zuniga against Binghamton on February 15, 2023 are the most points scored by a freshman since the 2008 season.

This season, Zuniga paces the Highlanders with 14.3ppg and has scored in double-digits in all 10 games this season, including two 20-point contests (season-high 23 at Army). Zuniga ranks fifth in the America East in scoring.

Four Teams Reaching Postseason in 2023 on the Highlanders Non-Conference Slate
NJIT will travel to 2023 Northeast Conference Champion Sacred Heart (19-14 overall, 12-4 NEC) on December 6.  The Pioneers registered the first NCAA Tournament win in program history and the first win for a Northeast Conference women's team.

For the first time in program history, NJIT hosted Notre Dame on Sunday, November 12 inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.  The Irish, who reached the 2023 NCAA Sweet Sixteen, finished with a 27-6 overall record.  NJIT's Lane is a 1993 graduate of Notre Dame, where he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing.

Miami, who the Highlanders visited for the first time on December 3, reached the 2023 NCAA Elite Eight, finishing with a 22-13 overall record.  

The Highlanders made a short trip to Northeast Conference regular season champion Fairleigh Dickinson (24-8 overall, 14-2 NEC) on November 29.  FDU earned an automatic qualifier bid to the 2023 WNIT due to the Knights winning the NEC regular season title.  NJIT, which dropped the previous eight meetings with the Knights, snapped the losing streak on November 29 coming out on top with a 61-46 victory.

Started Off the Season 4-1 | Best Start Since 2012-13
The Highlanders started off the season 4-1 for the first time since the 2012-13 season.  NJIT opened up the season at Army West Point (Nov. 6) and came away with a 73-57 road victory, pulled out an overtime home victory at home over first time opponent Merrimack (Nov. 10) 48-45, paced by Trinity Williams double-double (12pts, 11reb) and had four players score in double-figures in the home win over Rider.  NJIT exploded for 80 points in a 80-36 win over Wagner on November 18, paced by four double-figure scorers.  The Highlanders lone loss in the five-game stretch came against then-ranked top-10 team Notre Dame (currently ranked No. 18).

Nov. 6 | at Army West Point | W, 73-57
Nov. 10 | vs. Merrimack | W, 48-45 (OT)
Nov. 12 | vs. #10 Notre Dame | 57-104
Nov. 15 | vs. Rider | W, 70-57
Nov. 18 | vs. Wagner | W, 80-36

Last Time Out
The NJIT women's basketball fell on the road at Sacred Heart, 57-48, Wednesday evening in women's basketball non-conference action at the William H Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center.

The Pioneers, the 2023 Northeast Conference Champions, who registered their first NCAA Tournament win a season ago, improves to 5-5 on the season while the Highlanders move to an even 5-5 with three non-conference games slated for the remainder of 2023.

Kenna Squier paced NJIT with a team-best 12 points and Alejandra Zuniga combined for 10 points.  Freshman Madilyn Dogs led all players with eight rebounds as the Highlanders held a huge advantage on the glass, 47-to-29.

Trinity Williams added eight points and seven rebounds.  Squier and Zuniga also grabbed seven rebounds.

Poured in a Season-Best 80 Points
The 80 points in the win over Wagner (80-36) on November 18 is a season-high and are the most points scored by a Highlander team since the 2019-20 season when the Highlanders defeated Saint Francis Brooklyn 88-69 in Newark.

Sophomore Alejandra Zuniga netted a game-best 11 points followed by Trinity Williams (10), Lyzi Litwinko (10) and Reese Vaughan (10).  Litwinko went 4-of-5 from the field and Gingrich finished 2-of-4 from three-point range.

Dishing Out Dimes
As a team, NJIT dished out 20 assists in the win over Wagner, 80-36, on November 18. The 20 assists are the most by a Highlander team since the 2019-20 season (28 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn; 11.26.19).

Forward Trinity Williams set a new personal-best mark of five assists at Miami on December 3.

New Kids on the Block
Madilyn Dogs, Guard, Kewaskum, WI/Kewaskum High School
Audrey Kormann, Forward, Maple Grove, MN/Maple Grove Senior High
Marissa Gingrich, Guard, Lewistown, PA/Mifflin County High School
Mackenzie Wright-Rawls, Forward, York, PA/Central York High School
Angelina Banas, Forward, Columbus, NJ/Notre Dame High School

Women's Basketball Announces 2028 Class
NJIT sixth-year head coach Mike Lane announced the addition of five high school standouts who will join the Highlanders for the 2024-25 season.

Allison Cannon (Holmdel, NJ), Piper Engelby (Andover, MN), Olivia Kulyk (Edniboro, PA), Olivia O'Meally (Niskayuna, NY) and Mayah Alford (Levittown, PA) will begin their first semester with the Highlanders in the Fall of 2024.

America East Conference
NJIT will begin its fourth 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 and were selected to finish fifth in the 2023-24 preseason coaches poll, receiving 38 votes.

The Highlanders, which made its third consecutive appearance in the 2023 America East postseason tournament, concluded its season with a 13-16 overall mark and 8-8 in the America East.

Fans will once again be able to watch every #AEHoops home game on The AE on ESPN with all games airing on ESPN+ or ESPN3 domestically and AmericaEast.TV internationally.

Scouting Saint Peter's
Saint Peter's enters Tuesday's contest with a 2-5 overall mark.  The Peacocks are coming off a close 69-67 loss against Wagner on December 6.  The two wins this season have come against CCSU and LIU.

The Peacocks have two players averaging double-digits, paced by Fatmata Janneh (10.7ppg) and Jada Leonard (10.3ppg).  Pacing Saint Peter's on the boards is Janneh with 7.0rpg.

Next Up
NJIT will host Saint Francis U (Dec. 15 at 6pm) before breaking for Christmas and as part of a doubleheader with the NJIT men, NJIT will host LIU (Dec. 31 at 1pm) followed by the NJIT men vs. Morgan State at 4:30pm inside the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center to close out 2023.

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