NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will head south and visit first-time opponent Miami on Sunday, December 3.
Game Information
Tip off is slated for 12pm inside Watsco Center and will be produced on the ACCNX and ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on MiamiHurricanes.com.
All-Time Series
Sunday will be the first meeting between the two institutions.
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
Four Teams Reaching Postseason in 2023 on the Highlanders Non-Conference Slate
NJIT women's basketball head coach Mike Lane announced the non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2023-24 season, which includes four teams that reached postseason in 2023 and is highlighted by a visit from Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent Notre Dame and a trip south to Miami (FL).
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 will visit 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 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.
Last Time Out
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.
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 ties the NJIT Division I single-season game record with seven 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).
Back for her Graduate Year - Kenna Squier
Squier was selected to the America East Conference third team. She currently sits fourth in the NJIT DI era with 1,224 points (4th all-time), 526 rebounds, 244 assists (5th in NJIT DI era), 157 steals (T-2nd DI era; T-10th all-time) and 114 games played/started (T-9th 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.
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).
News & Notes on NJIT
–Top five scorers return from a season ago – Alejandra Zuniga (12.3), Kenna Squier (11.0), Trinity Williams (10.2), Aria Myers (8.9) and Lyzi Litwinko (8.8).
–Ready for her second season in a Highlander uniform is Alejandra 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.
–Forward Trinity Williams started 28 games, putting up 10.2 points and a team-high 6.1 boards per game with 42 blocks.
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 Miami Hurricanes
Miami comes into Sunday's contest with a perfect 6-0 record, most recently knocking off No. 21 Mississippi State 74-68 on November 29. The victory for the Canes was their first road non-conference ranked win during the regular season since 2016, as well as their first-ever ranked SEC-road win.
This is the first 6-0 start for Miami under head coach Katie Meier.
Jasmyne Roberts and Sheyeann Day-Wilson lead Miami averaging 11.5ppg and 10.5ppg respectively. Lazaria Spearman tops the team with 8.2rpg.
Jasmyne Roberts, the Jacksonville native, who averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in Miami's wins in the tournament and earned a spot on the Greenville-2 All-Region Team, is one of three juniors, along with Ja'Leah Williams and Lashae Dwyer back for the Hurricanes this season.
Williams, who like Roberts started last season, averaged 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds, while Dwyer averaged 5.9 points and 2.3 rebounds.
Several newcomers are expected to step up and make a difference, too, including transfers Shayeann Day-Wilson, Lemyah Hylton, Jaida Patrick and Ally Stedman.
Day-Wilson and Patrick bring with them ACC experience, after both spent two seasons at Duke. Patrick, who played at Columbia last season, averaged 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds to earn All-Ivy Second-Team honors, while Day-Wilson was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2021-22 and averaged 10.2 points and 3.1 assists per game during her time at Duke.
Stedman spent two seasons at Pepperdine, where she earned a spot on the West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team in 2022 and was an All-WCC Honorable Mention honoree last season after averaging 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season. And Hylton is a former four-star prospect who spent a season at Arizona before joining Miami.
Next Up
NJIT will wrap up its five-game road trip on December 6 when the Highlanders visit defending Northeast Tournament Champions Sacred Heart. Tip off is slated for 7pm on NEC Front Row.
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
