VIDEO: NJIT Highlights at Maine
ORONO, ME–Four Highlanders scored in double-figures led by a team-best 16 points from freshman Alejandra Zuniga as NJIT registered a big 56-54 road victory at Maine Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium at the Pit in America East women's basketball action.
With the win, NJIT moves to an even 12-12 overall, 7-5 in the America East while Maine drops its third straight game, falling to 12-12 overall, 8-4 in the league.
"We play close games, " fifth-year head coach Mike Lane added postgame. "Amy and I joked about that before the tip. "We showed real maturity in the fourth quarter which got us over the hump in the fourth quarter.
The two teams split the season series as the Black Bears edged the Highlanders, 69-63, in Newark on January 7.
Zuniga, who scored 12 of her 16 points in the first half dished out four assists. Senior Kenna Squier, the reigning America East Conference Player of the Week, just missed recording a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.
Aria Myers and Trinity Williams each chipped in 10 points apiece. Williams shot 5-for-8 from the field and added five rebounds. Reese Vaughan came off the bench to score five points in the win for the Highlanders.
For Maine, Adrianna Smith scored a game-best 23 points and added eight rebounds followed by Olivia Rockwood with 10 points.
After one quarter in the books, NJIT outscored Maine, 16-8, paced by freshman Alejandra Zuniga who scored 10 of NJIT's 16 points on 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range.
Maine battled back in the second quarter, outscoring the Highlanders, 21-8, heading into the half with a five-point lead, 29-24. NJIT's Zuniga led all scorers with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field while Kenna Squier pulled down a game-high six rebounds. Maine's Adrianna Smith paced Maine with a team-best 10 points.
NJIT opened the third quarter on a 9-2 spurt and took its first lead of the second half, 33-31, on a three-pointer by Aria Myers at the 3:28 mark. A layup by Trinity Williams at the 2:02 mark knotted the score at 35-all and neither team scored in the final minutes, heading into the fourth quarter.
Trinity Williams connected on back-to-back buckets to open the fourth quarter, taking a 39-37 advantage. NJIT's Squier scored five straight points, capped by an old-fashioned three-point play to give NJIT a four-point advantage, 44-40, resulting in a Maine timeout.
NJIT took its largest lead of the second half on a three-pointer by Myers, her second of the game for a seven-point lead 47-40. NJIT maintained at least a three-point advantage over the next two minutes and led by six, 56-50, after a pair of free throws by Zuniga with :44 seconds left in the game.
Maine scored the final four points of the game and missed the final free throw on purpose with .01 seconds and was unable to get the shot off as the Highlanders held on for a 56-54 road victory.
NJIT will return home for a big home match up against Binghamton on February 15 at 7pm inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center. Earlier this season, NJIT defeated Binghamton 62-57 on January 11.
