Game 8	NJIT (6-1, 0-0 America East) vs. FDU (3-3, 0-0 NEC)
Date | Time	Tuesday, November 25, 2025 | 6pm
Team Rosters	NJIT | FDU
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center
All-Time Series	FDU leads 13-5
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	ESPN+
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | FDU Notes

NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will continue its stretch of four straight at home on Tuesday when the Highlanders host FDU.

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
–The 6-1 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.
–The six wins came at Sacred Heart, Fordham, St. Thomas, and home wins against Wagner, Saint Peter's and Drexel.
–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.
–NJIT started the 2025 season 3-0 for the first time in program history.
--In the last four seasons, NJIT has won the season opener and started 1-0.

A win on Tuesday…
–NJIT will be 7-1 for the first time in program history.
–The Highlanders will have won four straight. The last time NJIT won four straight was last season in a stretch of wins over: LIU, Binghamton, UMBC and UMass Lowell.
–Move to 4-0 at home inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center which will mark the best start at home since the 2012-13 season 

All-Time Series
FDU leads the all-time series, 13-5.  NJIT won the last meeting between the two teams last season in Teaneck, a 61-46 victory over the Knights.

Last Time Out
NJIT had four players in double-figures led by sophomore Olivia Kulyk's 24 points as the Highlanders defeated visiting Drexel, 73-66, Saturday afternoon in women's basketball non-conference action inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.

NJIT picked up its third straight win of the season, moved to 3-0 inside the WEC and are off to the best start in program history at 6-1.  

In addition to Kulyk's team-best 24 points, Marissa Gingrich finished with 21 points, Ava Locklear (11) and Allison Cannon (10).  Locklear combined for her first double-double of the season with 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds for the Highlanders.

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.  Kulyk has combined for three 20+ performances and is averaging 15.6ppg and 5.1rpg. 

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.

Through six games, Gingrich is averaging 15.6ppg, 4.0rpg and shooting 50% from the field while combining for three 20+ performances.  

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 FDU
NJIT will host the defending Northeast Conference Champions FDU on Tuesday.  The Knights will enter the contest with a 3-3 mark having faced Purdue and No. 15 Notre Dame to begin the 2025 campaign.

Last season, the Knights finished with a program-record 29-4 campaign, 19-0 conference record en route to their third conference championship, and first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Reigning Brenda Reilly NEC Coach of the Year Stephanie Gaitley will return ten members from the 2024-25 NEC Champions, highlighted by point guard Ava Renninger.

Renninger was named unanimously to the 2025-26 Preseason All-NEC Team, coming off of a remarkable freshman campaign, where she helped lead the Knights to the NEC Championship. Renninger finished 2024-25 as the NEC Rookie of the Year, and was named to the 2024-25 All-NEC First Team. She averaged 13.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.7 APG to help lead the Knights during her rookie season.

This season, Renninger and Madlena Gerke are pacing the Knights averaging 15.6ppg while Leah Crosby tops the team on boards at 6.3rpg.  Renninger has scored in double-figures through the first six games, registering a pair of 20+ performances. 

Next Up
NJIT will conclude its four-game homestand after the Thanksgiving Holiday, when the Highlanders 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.