NJIT Highlights vs. Binghamton
VIDEO: ESPN+ Dave Calloway w/ head coach Mike Lane and Alejandra Zuniga Post Game
VIDEO: ESPN+ Mike Ventola w/ Assistant Coach Aaron Gratch Post Game Wrap Up
NEWARK, NJ–Freshman Alejandra Zuniga scored a career-best 31 points to lead NJIT to a 75-70 home victory over visiting Binghamton Wednesday evening in America East Conference women's basketball action inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
NJIT scored a season-best 75 points and swept the regular season series from Binghamton, improved to 13-12 overall, 8-5 in the America East while Binghamton moved to 13-13 overall and 6-7 in the conference. The 13 wins are two shy the 15-win output from a season ago which marked the second highest win total in the Division I era. The eight wins in the America East are one shy the program-best nine wins accomplished last season.
The 31 points scored by Zuniga are the most points scored by a freshman since the 2007-08 season when Jessica Gerald '11 scored a school-record 37 points against Cal-State Bakersfield. The 5-foot-8 guard from Madrid, Spain has scored in double-digits in 18 games this season. She finished Wednesday's game 10-for-18 from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. The five assists dished out by Zuniga is also a new personal-best mark.
In addition to Zuniga, sophomore Trinity Williams combined for her fourth double-double of the season, tying her personal-best mark of 16 points and pulling down 12 rebounds (one shy of her career-best) – both vs. Central Connecticut State (11.19.22). The Highlander forward finished 8-for-12 from the field.
Senior Kenna Squier combined for 15 points, six rebounds and two assists in the win, shooting 7-for-10 from the field.
Binghamton had two players reach double-figures paced by Denai Bowman's team-best 18 points followed by Genevieve Coleman's 11 points.
Both teams went back and forth in the opening six minutes of action and went into the under-five media timeout tied at 14-all. Alejandra Zuniga (8) and Trinity Williams (6) combined for all 14 points for the Highlanders. The game saw three more ties in the quarter, the final on a three-pointer in the corner by Reese Vaughan for a 21-21 tie.
NJIT used a 6-1 run in the second quarter over a span of 2:50 for a 29-27 lead at the 4:47 mark. The Bearcats closed out the final 3:07 on an 8-0 run, heading into the locker room with a six-point lead, 37-31.
At the half, Alejandra Zuniga led all scorers with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field while dishing out four assists. Trinity Williams chipped in six points and grabbed four rebounds followed by Grace Plummer who added five points.
The Highlanders started off the third quarter on an 11-5 run and knotted the game at 40-all on a turnaround jumper inside the paint by Aria Myers at the 6:45 mark. Binghamton took its biggest lead of the quarter, five, 49-44, on a three-pointer but the Highlanders answered back scoring six consecutive points for a one-point advantage, 50-49.
NJIT, which scored 25 fourth-quarter points, netted seven straight points to begin the quarter and take a six-point lead, 57-51, after a jumper by Squier at the 8:04 mark. Zuniga connected on a three-pointer at the four-minute mark to give the Highlanders a six-point lead, 67-61, resulting in a Binghamton timeout. Binghamton used a 6-1 run to close the Highlander gap to one, 71-70, after a pair of free throws at the 1:18 mark. Zuniga scored the final four points of the game as the Highlanders held on to a 75-70 home victory.
As a team, NJIT finished the game shooting 50.9% from the field (29-for-57) and 78.6% from the free throw line (11-for-14). Zuniga led all players with five assists as the Highlanders dished out 14 as a team.
NJIT will play its next two games on the road, first visiting Vermont on Saturday (at 2pm) and Bryant on Wednesday, February 22 (at 7pm) to conclude the road portion of the America East Conference schedule.
