VIDEO: NJIT Highlights
LOWELL, MA–The NJIT women's basketball team earned its first America East Conference win behind a game-best 26 points from Alejandra Zuniga in the Highlanders 68-56 road victory at UMass Lowell Saturday afternoon inside Costello Athletic Center.
NJIT snapped a nine-game skid moving to 9-14 overall, 1-9 in the league while UMass Lowell moved to 4-19 overall, 4-7 in the conference.
Zuniga, the 2023 America East Rookie of the Year, scored a game-best and season-best 26 points, finishing 8-of-13 from the free throw line. The sophomore from Madrid, Spain, has scored in double figures in 22 out of 23, including four 20+ games this season.
In addition to Zuniga, Trinity Williams recorded a double-double (12pts and career-best 15 rebounds) and Lyzi Litwinko scored 12 points after shooting 5-of-9 from the field.
Senior Aria Myers chipped in six points, pulled down eight rebounds and dished out three assists. Freshman Audrey Kormann posted a personal-best five rebounds.
NJIT outscored UMass Lowell 14-6 in the first quarter and held a three-point lead at the half, 22-19. The Highlanders poured in 24 third quarter points, including a 14-0 run over 3:50 and held a 10-point lead into the final quarter, 44-33.
The Highlanders took its biggest lead of the contest, 20, 57-37, in the fourth quarter at the 6:18 mark but UMass Lowell inched their way back into the game, closing the double-digit Highlander gap to single digits, seven, 61-54, at the 3:10 mark behind a 12-2 spurt. NJIT closed the game on a 5-0 run to secure the first America East Conference win of the season with a 68-56 road victory.
NJIT got off to a quick start early in the first quarter behind a 10-0 run over 5:06 to take a 10-2 lead at the 3:45 mark. UMass Lowell scored back-to-back points but the Highlanders closed out the first 10 minutes with four straight to take an eight-point lead, 14-6.
UMass Lowell went on a 7-0 spurt to begin the second quarter, closing the NJIT gap to within one, 14-13, resulting in a Highlander timeout. After a scoreless six minutes, Alejandra Zuniga got the Highlanders back on the board, knocking down seven straight points capped by a three-pointer from the wing at the 2:13 for a 21-13 lead. The River Hawks used a 6-2 spurt to pull within three of NJIT, 22-19, at the half.
Alejandra Zuniga led all scorers after the first 20 minutes with 10 points while Trinity Williams pulled down nine rebounds.
Both teams went back and forth to start the third quarter with UMass Lowell taking its first lead of the contest 27-26 at the 6:13 mark behind six straight points and holding a one-point lead, 31-30, into the under-five media timeout. The Highlanders answered with a 14-0 run and regained the lead, 44-31, with less than a minute to play in the quarter. Zuniga netted nine points in the third quarter to put the Highlanders ahead by 10 heading into the final quarter.
As a team, NJIT shot 75 percent from the free throw line (15-for-20) and finished 44.6 percent from the field (25-for-56).
UMass Lowell's Abbey Lindsey led the River Hawks with nine points and nine rebounds.
NJIT will return to action on Thursday, welcoming UAlbany on NJIT's Pink Day. Tip-off is slated for 7pm on ESPN+.
