FAIRFIELD, CT–Senior Alejandra Zuniga led all scorers with 24 points to lead NJIT to a 64-51 road victory over Sacred Heart in the 2025-26 season opener for both teams Monday evening inside the William H. Pitt Center.
Zuniga, an America East Preseason All-Conference selection, combined for 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, 2-of-5 from three-point range and 4-of-6 from the free throw line to go along with seven assists, which ties her personal-best mark (7 at LIU; 12.30.24).
Marissa Gingrich chipped in 13 points – one shy of her personal-best mark (14 at LIU, 12.30.24) and pulled down six rebounds.
Allison Cannon and Mackenzie Wright-Rawls each combined for eight points off the bench for NJIT while sophomore transfer Ava Locklear debuted in a Highlander uniform, scoring six points and nine rebounds (one shy of her personal-best mark).
An early back-and-forth by both teams to start the 2025-26 season which saw the Highlanders use a 9-0 spurt capped by a layup by Allison Cannon for a 15-8 lead. Sacred Heart scored five straight to close the gap to within two, 15-13, with 1:15 left. A layup by Alejandra Zuniga put the Highlanders up by four, 17-13, at the end of the first 10.
Midway through the second quarter, NJIT went on a 13-2 run to extend the Highlander lead to 10, 33-23, behind a pair of three-pointers by Zuniga with 1:12 on the clock.
Zuniga led all scorers after the first 20 minutes with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range to go along with four assists. Locklear came off the bench to score six points in 12 minutes.
Sacred Heart took control in the opening minutes of the third quarter, using a 7-2 run, resulting in a Highlander timeout and cutting the deficit to five points, 37-32. The visitors went on a 10-2 run for a nine-point advantage, 47-36, just under the five-minute mark after a trey ball from Marissa Gingrich. NJIT closed out the third quarter on an 11-0 run in the final 3:50 for a 58-37 advantage.
The Pioneers scored the first six points of the fourth quarter and outscored the Highlanders in the fourth quarter, 14-6, but it wasn't enough as NJIT held on to the 64-51 road victory for their first win of the season.
As a team, NJIT shot 40% from the field and 60% from the free throw line while dishing out 19 assists.
Sacred Heart was led by Amelia Wood's 16 points followed by 11 from Esther Kursite.
Next Up
NJIT will play its next game on the road at A10 opponent Fordham on November 7 at 5pm. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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