NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will host Vermont on Saturday inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center in America East Conference action.

Game Information
Tip off is slated for 1pm inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.  The game will be on ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.

All-Time Series
UVM leads the all-time series, 9-1.  NJIT's lone win over Vermont came on December 27, 2020 in Newark by a 70-60 victory.

Last Time Out
UMass Lowell used an early fourth quarter run to carry the River Hawks past NJIT, 70-67,  in women's basketball America East Conference action on Wednesday's Education Day matinee inside the Joel and Bloom Wellness and Events Center.

NJIT had four players in double-figures paced by sophomore Alejandra Zuniga's team-best 16 points followed by Aria Myers (11pts), Trinity Williams (11pts) and Kenna Squier (11pts).  

Williams combined for her third double-double of the season, combining for 11 points and pulling down a game-best 11 rebounds to go along with four blocks.  NJIT held a slight advantage on the boards, 41-to-36.  Lilly Anderson grabbed eight rebounds and Squier and Zuniga were credited with six rebounds.

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.

NJIT is 0-2 early in America East Conference play, dropping a road contest at UAlbany to open league play and a three-point home loss to UMass Lowell on Education, where the Highlanders led by as many as 10 in the third quarter.

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.

Win No. 50 at NJIT for Head Coach Mike Lane
The victory over LIU was win #50 for head coach Mike Lane since taking over the reins at NJIT in 2018-19.

Back for her Graduate Year - Kenna Squier
Squier was selected to the America East Conference third team.  She moved into second in the NJIT DI era after the Highlanders win over Saint Peter's on December 12 and currently stands with 1,297 points (2nd NJIT DI era; 5th all-time), 541 rebounds, 249 assists (5th in NJIT DI era), 166 steals (1st DI era; 8th all-time) and 117 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 14.8ppg and has scored in double-digits in 14 out of 15 games this season, including three 20-point contests (season-high 23 at Army). Zuniga ranks seventh in the America East in scoring.

Block Party
NJIT currently ranks 14th in the nation with 5.6 blocks per game. NJIT is led by Trinity Williams who is blocking a league-best 1.9 shots per game, followed by freshman Madilyn Dogs at 1.2 blocks per contest.

Scouting Vermont
Vermont enters Saturday's contest with a 10-7 overall mark, 2-1 in the America East, most recently coming off a 70-55 win at UMBC.  Three Catamounts Emma Utterback, Anna Olson and Keira Hanson all registered 19 points in the road victory.

Utterback and Olson are averaging double-figures – 15.5ppg and 11.2ppg respectively for the Catamounts.  Utterback ranks third in the league in scoring  while Olson tops the league in field goal percentage at 56.5 percent. 

Olson paces the Catamounts on the boards (6.1rpg) and total blocks (15), ranking sixth in the league.

Next Up
NJIT will play its next three games on the road, taking the trip up the New Hampshire on January 18 (6pm), heading up to Maine for a 1pm tip of January 20 and closing out the road trip at Bryant on January 25 at 6pm.

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