DURHAM, NH–New Hampshire picked up its first America East Conference win, holding on to a 56-50 victory over visiting NJIT in women's basketball league action at Lundholm Gymnasium Thursday evening.
With the win, New Hampshire snaps a four-game skid, moving to 7-11 overall, 1-4 in the league while the Highlanders drop its fourth straight game, falling to 8-9 overall, 0-4 in the America East.
Sophomore Alejandra Zuniga, the 2023 America East Conference Rookie of the Year scored a game-best 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from three-point range followed by Lyzi Litwinko (7pts), Marissa Gingrich (7pts) and Trinity Williams (6pts). On the glass, Williams paced the Highlanders with six rebounds while Litwinko dished out a game-best four assists.
An early back-and-forth between the two teams to get things going in the first quarter but New Hampshire used a 7-0 run for a 13-7 lead. Alejandra Zuniga knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key to close the gap to within three, 13-10, with less than two minutes to go. The Wildcats closed out with a quick 5-0 run, taking an eight-point lead, 18-10.
An 8-0 run for the Highlanders to start the second quarter, including back-to-back three-pointers, slimmed the Wildcat deficit to four, 22-18, at the 6:04 mark. Late in the quarter, a 5-0 run for NJIT closed the gap to within three, 26-23, capped by a driving layup by Reese Vaughan at the 1:40 mark.
Trailing by five at the half, NJIT cut the Wildcat lead to two, 33-31, behind an 8-0 spurt to start the third quarter by the Highlanders, resulting in a timeout by UNH at the 6:08 mark. Midway through the third quarter, Marissa Gingirch knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the quarter, the second of the game at the 5:03 mark for a two-point game, 36-34.
The Wildcats extended its lead to as many as eight, 42-34, just below the two-minute mark. Graduate student Kenna Squier knocked down her first points of the game, a big bucket from behind the arc for a five-point game, 42-37.
Two minutes into the final quarter, neither team scored until the 6:49 on a strong finish in the paint by Trinity Williams for a two-point game, 42-40 and a left-handed hook by Madilyn Dogs in the paint tied the game at 42-all at the 5:24 mark. UNH answered on the opposite end knocking down a three-pointer but Zuniga responded with a three-pointer of her own at the 4:27 mark for a 45-45 tie.
The Wildcats went on a 10-2 spurt to push its lead to six, 55-47, with fifteen seconds left on the clock. Zuniga connected on her sixth three-pointer of the contest to pull within five, 55-50, with 10 seconds remaining but the Wildcats would secure the 56-50 home victory over NJIT.
New Hampshire's Maggie Cavanaugh led the Wildcats with 13 points and Breezie Williams finished with 11 points.
Next Up
NJIT will head up to Maine for a 1pm America East Conference tip on January 20.
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