NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will open its home slate on Tuesday, November 11 when the Highlanders host Wagner.

Game Information
Tip off is slated for 6pm inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center on ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.

Quick Hits
–NJIT has started the 2025 season 2-0 for the first time since 2023-24.
–The Highlanders picked up a pair of road wins at Sacred Heart and Fordham.
--In the last four seasons, NJIT has won the season opener and started 1-0.
--During the 2023-24 season, NJIT started out the year 4-1 with its lone coming against No. 10 ranked Notre Dame.

A Win on Tuesday...
--NJIT will begin the season 3-0 for the first time in program history.

All-Time Series
Wagner leads the all-time series, 8-7. Wagner has won the last four out of five contests against NJIT.  The lone win in the stretch for the Highlanders was an 83-36 victory in Newark on November 18, 2023.

Last Time Out
The NJIT women's basketball team started the 2025 season 2-0 led by sophomore Olivia Kulyk's career-best 25 points in the Highlanders 82-78 road victory at Fordham Friday evening in women's basketball non-conference action at Rose Hill Gymnasium.

Kulyk, the reigning America East Conference Rookie of the Year, caught fire in the second quarter, scoring 12 points and finished the game with a new personal-best 25 points.  Kulyk finished the game 10-for-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range and pulled down six rebounds.

Junior Marissa Gingrich scored a new personal-best 16 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out five assists and combined for three steals.

The Highlanders other double-figure scorer on the night was senior Alejandra Zuniga who finished with 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

New Career-High for Olivia Kulyk
The reigning America East Conference Rookie of the Year Kulyk set a new personal-best mark at Fordham from the Atlantic 10, netting 25 points on 5-of-6 shooting from downtown in the Highlanders 82-78 road victory on November 7, 2025.

Highlanders News & Notes
–Senior Alejandra Zuniga was selected to the America East Preseason All-Conference team.   Last season, Zuniga was picked to the America East first team, as a sophomore she was named to the second team and during her freshman campaign, Zuniga earned America East Rookie of the Year, America East Third team, America East All-Rookie team honors. She is coming off a season which saw the Highlanders guard ranked third in the league in scoring (16.0ppg), third in assists (3.4), fifth in free throw percentage (65.0%) and fifth in field goal percentage (44.0%).
–The 2025 America East Rookie of the Year, Olivia Kulyk is back for her second season in a Highlander uniform after a strong freshman campaign which saw her be named a 10-time America East Rookie of the Week selection, which ties the America East Conference record, has scored in double-figures in 19 contests, including a career-best 21 points and 12 rebounds against Binghamton on January 2, 2025. She ranked second in the league in three-point field goals per game (1.9) and 13th in the conference in scoring (9.7).
–NJIT returns 11 from a season ago after a fifth-place finish in the America East standings with an 11-19 overall mark, 8-8 in the league.  The 11 wins were the fourth straight double-digit win for the Highlanders in the last four years.
–Head Coach Mike Lane enters his eighth season at the helm of the Highlanders.

Returning Starters
Alejandra Zuniga, G – 16.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Olivia Kulyk, G – 9.7ppg, 4.6rpg, .38.8 % 3PT
Marissa Gingrich, G – 6.1ppg, 3.6rpg
Madilyn Dogs, G – 4.5 ppg, 4.1rpg

Making a Name in the Record Books
Zuniga, from Madrid, Spain, is a three-time America East Conference All-Conference selection, and has scored 1,314 career points which ranks her third in the Division I era at NJIT and fifth all-time.  The all-time leading scorer at NJIT is Jessica Gerald (2007-11) with 1,504 career points.

Rising Junior Marissa Gingrich
In the first two games, Gingrich, the Highlanders point guard has scored in double-digits (13 at Sacred Heart) and (16 at Fordham) a new career-best for the guard from Mifflin, PA.  She has combined for back-to-back games with six rebounds and dished out five assists at Fordham.

New Kids on the Block
NJIT added four newcomers to the 2025-26 roster with three freshmen and one transfer. Mia Gestosani hails from Somerset, NJ, Addison Shen from Concord, MA, Lauren Lee from New Port Richey, FL and Ava Locklear a transfer from Tiffin, IA. 

America East Conference
NJIT will begin its sixth season in the America East and will play a schedule of 16 conference games against the other eight schools.  The Highlanders became the 10th full member of the America East on July 1, 2020 and were selected to finish eighth in the 2024-25 preseason coaches poll.

The Highlanders, which made its fifth consecutive appearance in the 2025 America East postseason tournament, concluded its season with a 11-19 overall mark and 8-18 in the America East.

Fans will once again be able to watch every #AEHoops home game on The AE on ESPN with all games airing on ESPN+ or ESPN3 domestically and AmericaEast.TV internationally.

Scouting Wagner Seahawks
Wagner enters Tuesday's contest with an even 1-1 overall mark.

The Seahawks opened the 2025 season at Rutgers and registered its first win of the season against New Paltz.

In the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll, Wagner was selected seventh out of 10 teams after finishing with an 8-21 overall record, 5-11 in the NEC last season.

Wagner's Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor is averaging 10.0ppg and 6.0rpg through the first two games.  She combined for nine points and three rebounds at Rutgers and registered nearly a double-double (11pts, 9rebs) against New Paltz. 

Next Up
NJIT will make a trip to Minnesota (Nov. 14) and first-time opponent St. Thomas (Nov. 16).  Minnesota won the 2025 WBIT and finished the season with 25 wins.  The last time the two teams met was on December 28, 2015.

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.