VIDEO: NJIT Highlights
VIDEO: NJIT Postgame with head coach Mike Lane and ESPN+ Drew Casey
NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team was defeated by visiting UMBC, 72-61, in America East Conference action inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
UMBC, which snaps a four-game skid, improves to 7-12 overall, 3-4 in the America East while the Highlanders move to 8-12 overall and are still in search of its first win in America East play.
NJIT's Alejandra Zuniga led all players with 18 points, shooting 7-for-15 from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point range to go along with three steals. Zuniga has scored in double-figures in 19 out of 20 games this season.
In addition to Zuniga's 18 points, Trinity Williams and Lyzi Litwinko each registered 15 points. Williams shot 6-of-10 from the field with six rebounds and four blocks. Litwinko filled up the box score Saturday, shooting 4-for-7 from the field, 7-of-9 from the free throw line while grabbing six rebounds, four assists and one steal.
Aria Myers chipped in six points off the bench for NJIT, finishing 3-for-8 from the field with two rebounds and two steals.
Both teams traded points early in the contest with NJIT using a 5-0 run heading into the media timeout, capped by an old-fashioned three-point play by Alejandra Zuniga for a 10-7 lead. UMBC closed out the final four minutes of the period on an 8-2 spurt to take a two-point lead advantage, 15-12.
UMBC poured in 22 second quarter points and extended its lead to as many as 14, behind a 9-2 run over 4:15, heading into the half with a 37-23 lead.
After the first 20 minutes, Zuniga led all players with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field while UMBC's Anne Adewuni was the team-leader with 10 points. On the boards, UMBC held a 25-to-13 advantage paced by a game-best five rebounds from Jaden Walker.
NJIT rallied midway through the third quarter, slimming the Retriever lead to within 12, 44-32, behind a 7-2 run, at the 4:53 mark.
Trinity Williams scored five in a row for NJIT to close the Retriever gap to 14, 55-41 to get things going in the fourth quarter. NJIT's 12-2 spurt cut the UMBC lead to eight, 63-55, at the 2:55 mark after a steal and finish by Zuniga The Retrievers pushed it leads back up to double-digits, 15, 72-57, behind a 9-2 run with less than forty-five seconds left in the contest.
UMBC's Anna Blout scored a team-best 17 points followed by Anne Adewumi (14pts) and Jaden Walker (12pts). UMBC outrebounded NJIT, 39-to-29, led by Walker's seven rebounds.
NJIT will return to action on Thursday at 7pm, welcoming Binghamton inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
