VIDEO: Post Game Interview w/ Head Coach Mike Lane and ESPN+ Phyliss Mangina
NEWARK, NJ– Visiting Dartmouth edged NJIT 61-60, Thursday evening inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
With 2:03 remaining on the clock, Dartmouth scored seven straight to take a three-point lead, 61-58 with twenty-four seconds left on the clock. NJIT's Alejandra Zuniga scored a bucket in the paint with eleven seconds to pull within one, 61-60.
Dartmouth missed a pair of free throws with three seconds on the clock, Ava Locklear pulled down the rebound and the Highlanders called for a 30-second timeout to set up one final play. Marissa Gingrich in-bounded the ball to Olivia Kulyk who took one dribble and pulled up for the jumper but the shot came up just short and Dartmouth held on for the one-point road victory, 61-60.
Dartmouth, winners of three in a row, moves to 6-2 on the year while the Highlanders move to 8-4 on the season.
NJIT had three players in double-digits led by Olivia Kulyk and Marissa Gingrich each netting 15 points followed by Alejandra Zuniga with 12 points. Ava Locklear chipped in eight points and nine rebounds.
NJIT scored 10 straight points midway through the first quarter, taking an early 13-5 lead at the 2:22 mark.
The Highlanders stayed in control pushing its lead to 10, 19-9 to start the second quarter. A 7-0 run for the Big Green closed the NJIT gap to within three, 19-16, at the 5:30 mark. A three-pointer by Olivia Kulyk from the corner put the home team ahead by seven, 22-16. An 8-2 spurt by Dartmouth knotted the game for the first time at 24-all at the 2:02 mark. Kulyk connected on a turnaround jumper to give NJOT a two-point lead 26-24 at the half.
Both teams traded points to begin the third quarter with NJIT leading by two, 34-32, at the under five-minute media timeout. The Highlanders closed out a tight third quarter on a short 6-4 spurt and headed into the final quarter all tied at 40.
NJIT went on an 8-0 spurt to begin the fourth quarter capped by a three-pointer by Olivia Kulyk at the 8:26 mark for a 48-43 lead. Dartmouth cut the Highlander lead to three, 50-47, but the home team answered and pushed its lead back up to seven, 54-47, on a tough move inside by Allison Cannon.
As a team, NJIT combined for 10 blocks, a season-best, led by Kulyk with three blocked shots.
Dartmouth's Cate MacDonald scored a game-best 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the win for the Big Green.
Next Up
The final non-conference game of the season will be on December 29 at Delaware State. Tip off is slated for 2pm on ESPN+.
Stay Connected
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