Game 11	Monmouth Hawks (3-6, 0-0 CAA) at NJIT Highlanders (2-8, 0-0 America East)
Date | Time	Monday, December 9, 2024 | 7pm
Location	Newark, NJ | Joe and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center
Live Video	ESPN+ (Drew Casey (PxP); Ralph Bednarczyk (Color)
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | Monmouth Notes
Rosters	NJIT Roster | Monmouth Roster
Follow	X/Twitter | Instagram | Live Stats

​NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will close out the 2024 home slate, hosting Monmouth on Monday evening.

Game Information 
The game will be on Monday at 7pm on ESPN+ inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.

All-Time Series 
Monmouth leads the all-time series, 4-0.

The two teams last met in the 2022-23 season where Monmouth won 70-62 in - overtime.  Dec. 8, 2021, was the last time these teams met in Newark, and the Hawks won, 62-53.

Last Time Out
Coppin State's Laila Lawrence scored the game-winner with 1.6 seconds on the clock to give the Eagles a 63-61 victory over NJIT Tuesday evening in women's basketball non-conference action inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.

Leading the way for the Highlanders was junior Alejandra Zuniga who combined for 16 points on 8-of-14 from the field, three assists and three steals. 

Highlander Highlights 

• The Highlanders secured its first win of the season at Saint Francis U, an 80-60 road victory.  The 80 points are the most scored by the Highlanders this season.

• NJIT, 2-8 on the season, has lost five games by five or less points this season, including a one-point overtime loss Hostra (L, 69-74), Army West Point (L, 68-69 (OT)), Lafayette (L, 69-71), Saint Peter's (L, 60-65) and Coppin State (L, 61-63).

• Alejandra Zuniga is averaging 18.7ppg and 3.0rpg while shooting 49.3% from the field.  She has scored 20+ points or more in five games this season, including a season-best 26 at Rutgers.

• Freshman Olivia Kulyk has been named America East Rookie of the Week twice this season and is averaging 9.3ppg and 3.7rpg.

• Head Coach Mike Lane is in his seventh season at the helm of the Highlanders.  NJIT went 12-18 overall, 4-12 in the America East and advanced to the America East Postseason Tournament for the fourth straight time.

Chasing 1,000 Career Points - Alejandra Zuniga
The rising junior Zuniga enters Monday's contest with 985 career points, 15 away from scoring her 1,000 career point.  As a freshman, the 2023 America East Rookie of the Year combined for 358 points and last year she followed up with 440 career points.  Nine games into the 2024-25 season, Zuniga has registered 181 points.  Zuniga will become, the 13th player in program history to score 1,000 career points and the seventh player since NJIT started competing at the Division I era (first season 2006-07).

America East Rookie of the Week Honors
Olivia Kulyk | 11.26.24
Allison Cannon | 11.18.24
Olivia Kulyk | 11.11.24

2025 Women's Basketball Commits
Addison Shen | Concord, MA | Guard
Laura Lee | New Port Richey, FL | Forward
Mia Gestosani | Somerset, NJ | Point Guard

Scouting Monmouth 
Monmouth enters Monday's contest winners of three in a row and standing at 3-6 overall. The Hawks win streak started with a win over Saint Peter's (59-50), Lafayette (60-54) and most recently Rider (52-36) in a stretch of three games inside OceanFirst Bank Center.

In the win over Rider, Damaris Rodriguez led the Hawks with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes.  Divine Dibula came off the bench and scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 21 minutes.

The Hawks are led by Rodriquez, a transfer from Division III NJCU (13.9ppg) and Taisha Exanor (12.0ppg).  Exanor, a transfer who played three seasons at Pitt, leads the team on the boards (8.7) followed closely by Ella Farrelly (7.4).

At NJCU, Rodriguez became the all-time leading scorer with 1,918 points, named All-Region four times, two-time All-Met Division III Player of the Year, two-time NJAC Player of the Year, NJAC and D3hoops.com All-Atlantic/Mid-Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year and D3hoops.com All-America Second Team twice.

First-year head coach Cait Wetmore and the Hawks collected win No. 1 of 2024-25 versus Saint Peter's last Tuesday, 59-50.

Next Up
NJIT will visit Wagner on December 12 before breaking for Christmas and will close out the 2024 calendar at LIU on Monday, December 30 at 7pm in Brooklyn.

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.