VIDEO: NJIT Highlights
BALTIMORE, MD–Junior forward Trinity Williams scored her biggest points of the game, sinking a pair of free throws with 1.1 seconds left in the game to give NJIT a 77-76 overtime road victory over UMBC Thursday evening in America East Conference women's basketball action inside the Chesapeake Arena.
With the win, NJIT hopes are still alive for an #AEPlayoffs berth. NJIT, who has won the last two out of three games, improved to 11-17 overall, 3-12 in the league while UMBC moves to 10-18 overall, 6-10 in the America East.
NJIT and New Hampshire are tied for eighth with a 3-12 America East record with one regular season game remaining on Saturday.
Williams netted a career-best 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field to go along with a team-best nine rebounds. In addition to Williams, Alejandra Zuniga combined for 15 points and Aria Myers came off the bench to score 13 points in the Highlanders win.
Freshman Madilyn Dogs chipped in nine points and seven rebounds and graduate student Kenna Squier added eight points.
Locked at 65-all at the end of regulation, both teams seesawed back and forth with UMBC taking a three-point lead, 76-73, with thirty seconds left to play. On the next possession, Zuniga knocked down a jumper inside the paint to pull within one, 76-75. After a Highlander foul, UMBC's Anna Blount missed a pair of free throws and Jordan Lewis missed a putback layup with eleven seconds on the clock, resulting in a jump situation in favor of the Highlanders. Head Coach Mike Lane called for a timeout to regroup his team and set up one final play. Williams, who received the ball on the low block was fouled going up for a layup with 1.1 seconds on the clock. Williams sank a pair of clutch free throws to secure the road win at UMBC, a 77-76 victory, keeping the Highlanders postseason chances alive.
NJIT scored the first six points of the contest and took an 8-3 lead after a bucket by Trinity Williams. UMBC rallied back to cut the deficit to one, 8-7 and 10-9, with less than four to play in the first quarter. Both teams traded baskets as NJIT broke a 14-14 tie using a 9-1 run over the last 2:18, capped by a three-pointer by Aria Myers to end the quarter ahead, 23-15. As a team, NJIT shot 78.6 percent from the field (11-for-14).
UMBC caught fire to begin the second quarter, scoring the first eight points, using an 11-2 run over a span of three minutes and out-scoring the Highlanders 14-4 through the first five minutes for a 29-27 advantage. After a layup by Alejandra Zuniga to knot the game at 29-all, NJIT used a 12-6 spurt to close out the first half ahead by four, 39-35, led by Trinity Williams with 10 points.
NJIT continued its momentum into the third quarter scoring the first six in a row, using a 10-0 spurt, extending its lead to double-digits, 45-35, at the 8:30 mark. UMBC went on a short 5-2 run to cut the lead back down to single digits, seven, 47-40, resulting in a Retrievers timeout. UMBC used a 9-0 spurt in the final two minutes to close the Highlander gap to three, 53-50.
UMBC extended its run into the fourth quarter, scoring the last 13 straight (over the last 4:19) to take its first lead of the second half, 54-53 at the 8:30 mark, resulting in a Highlander timeout. Trinity Williams snapped the Highlander scoring drought with a put-back layup at the 6:15 mark to regain the lead, 55-54. UMBC scored the next seven straight and continued its run 20-3 over the last 8:34, pushing the Retrievers lead to six, 61-55. NJIT responded with a run of their own, scoring seven consecutive points capped by a clutch jumper at the elbow by Aria Myers for a one-point lead, 64-63, with 1:11 to go.
UMBC tied the game at 65-all coming out of a timeout on a put-back layup by Jadyn Walker with 14.5 seconds. NJIT, coming out of the timeout, had the chance to win the game with a three-point shot by
Aria Myers, who made a pair of clutch shots for NJIT down the straight, whose shot hit the back of the rim, forcing overtime in Baltimore.
Blount scored a double-double, netting a game-best 25 points and grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds followed by Walker (16pts), Trinity Palacio (12) and Carmen Yanez (11pts).
NJIT Alumnae Day | March 2, 2024
Save the Date! NJIT Women's Basketball Alumnae Day is set for March 2, 2024, which is also the final regular season game for the Highlanders who will honor its graduating seniors in pregame ceremonies. Pregame reception will be held inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center and will begin at 12pm. Alums in attendance will be recognized at halftime.
Next Up
NJIT will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, March 2, welcoming Bryant at 2pm. Saturday will mark Senior Day for six graduating seniors – Kenna Squier, Lilly Anderson, Kiana Brereton, Lyzi Litwinko, Aria Myers and Lindsey Syrek. Saturday will also be Alumnae Day for NJIT women's basketball. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.
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
