Game 7	NJIT (5-1, 0-0 America East) vs. Drexel (4-1, 0-0 CAA)
Date | Time	Saturday, November 19, 2025 | 1pm
Team Rosters	NJIT | Drexel
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center
All-Time Series	First all-time meeting
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	ESPN+
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | Drexel Notes

NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will look to stay hot, welcoming Drexel on Saturday in non-conference action.

Game Information 
Tip off is slated for 1pm inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center on ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.

Quick Hits
–The 5-1 start for NJIT in the best start in program history.  In 2023-24, NJIT started out the season with a 4-1 mark with its lone loss coming against No. 10 ranked Notre Dame.
–NJIT started the 2025 season 3-0 for the first time in program history.
–The 48-point win margin of victory over Saint Peter's on November 19 is the most against a Division I opponent since 2012.
–The 82 total points at Fordham on November 7 are the most points scored by the Highlanders this season.
–The five wins came at Sacred Heart, Fordham, St. Thomas, home opening victory against Wagner and win over Saint Peter's.
--In the last four seasons, NJIT has won the season opener and started 1-0.

A win on Saturday…
–NJIT will be 6-1 for the first time in program history.
–The Highlanders will have won three straight 
–Move to 3-0 at home inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center
–Hold a 1-0 all-time record over Drexel

All-Time Series
Saturday will mark the first all-time meeting between the two schools.

Last Time Out
NJIT had four players reach double-figures as the Highlanders cruised to an 81-33 home victory over visiting Saint Peter's Wednesday afternoon in non-conference action inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.

NJIT is 5-1 for the first time in program history with its lone loss coming against Minnesota who is receiving votes in the 2025 USA Today Women's Top 25 Poll.

The 48-point margin of victory against Saint Peter's is the most against a Division I opponent since February 18, 2012, when NJIT defeated Houston Baptist by 60-points, 88-28.  In 2023-24, NJIT defeated Wagner by 44-points (NJIT 80, Wagner 36).

The 81 total points are one-point shy of the season-high 82 points in a road victory at Fordham on November 7, 2025.

As a team, NJIT shot 55.9 percent from the field (33-for-59) and 47.8 percent from three-point range (11-for-23).

Leading the way for NJIT was sophomore Olivia Kulyk with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field followed by Avery O'Roke (14), which marks a new career-high for the senior, Marissa Gingrich (12) and Allison Cannon (10).

O'Roke finished the game, shooting 5-of-7 from the field, 3-of-4 from three-point range in 20 minutes of action off the bench.

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

Largest Margin of Victory Since 2012
The 48-point margin of victory against Saint Peter's (Nov. 19) is the most against a Division I opponent since February 18, 2012, when NJIT defeated Houston Baptist by 60-points, 88-28.  In 2023-24, NJIT defeated Wagner by 44-points (NJIT 80, Wagner 36).

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.

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.

Rising Junior Marissa Gingrich
Through the first six games, Gingrich has scored in double-digits in five out of six contests, including a career-best 23 points at home vs. Wagner (11.11.25).  She has combined for at least one rebound in all six games, including a career-best seven rebounds vs. Wagner (11.11.25).

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.

Sophomore Spotlight Allison Cannon
Allison Cannon has played in all six games, including three starts while averaging 9.2ppg and 2.7rpg while shooting 63.4 percent from the field.  She has scored in double-figures in the last four games, including a season-best 11 points at Big Ten opponent Minnesota (Nov. 14).

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 Drexel
Drexel enters Saturday's contest with a 4-1 record and most recently suffering its first loss of the season at Lehigh (71-57).

The Dragons are ranked No. 18 in the Women's Mid major Top 25 (as of November 18, 2025) as the start to the 2025 season saw four straight wins over Pittsburgh, Marist, Penn and Loyola (MD).

Three players are averaging double-digits led by Amaris Baker (17.8ppg), Laine McGurk (17.6ppg) and Deja Evans (10.2ppg).  Evans tops the team on the board (6.4rpg) and total blocks (8).

Next Up
NJIT will continue its home stretch and welcome defending Northeast Champions FDU (Nov. 25) and after the Thanksgiving Holiday, host Lafayette (Nov. 30).

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.