Game 11	NJIT (7-3, 0-0 America East) vs Manhattan (0-8, 0-0 MAAC)
Date | Time	Sunday, December 7, 2025 | 1pm
Team Rosters	NJIT | Manhattan
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness & Events Center
All-Time Series	Manhattan leads 2-0
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	ESPN+ (Matt Provence (PXP)/Jesse Agel (Color)
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | Manhattan Notes

NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will return home on Sunday and host Manhattan.

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 7-3 start for NJIT is the best start in program history.  
–The Highlanders seven wins have come against Lafayette, Sacred Heart, Fordham, St. Thomas, and home wins against Wagner, Saint Peter's and Drexel.
–Allison Cannon registered a triple-double (14pts, 11ast, 10reb) against Lafayette on November 30, which marked the first triple double in NJIT Division I era and the third triple double all-time.
–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.

All-Time Series
Manhattan leads the all-time series, 2-0.  The two schools met in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Last Time Out
Transfer Ava Locklear recorded her third double-double of the season with 24 points and 14 rebounds but it wasn't enough as the Highlanders fell at Monmouth in women's basketball non-conference action Wednesday evening inside the OceanFirst Bank Center.

The 24 points for Locklear is a new career-best, surpassing her old mark of 22 points vs. Tiffin (12.22.24) and the 14 rebounds are two shy of her career best (16 vs. Lafayette; 11.30.25).  The sophomore forward has registered back-to-back double-doubles and combined for her third of the season.

Despite four players scoring in double-figures – Locklear (24), Alejandra Zuniga (18), Allison Cannon (11) and Olivia Kulyk (10) the Highlanders moved to 7-3 on the season.

First Triple Double in NJIT Division I Era; Third All-Time - Allison Cannon
Sophomore Allison Cannon registered NJIT's first triple double in 29 years as the Highlanders earned a 71-60 home victory over visiting Lafayette Sunday afternoon in non-conference women's basketball action inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.

Recording 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, Cannon now owns one of three triple-doubles in NJIT women's basketball history.  Her 11 assists were two shy of the NJIT single-game program record.  The last triple double in Highlander history dates back to 1996 by Kristie Simpson vs. St. Joseph's, 2/19/96 (22 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals) and by Lauren Battista vs. Old Westbury, 1/28/95 (10 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists).

Cannon has played in all nine games, including six starts while averaging 9.4ppg and 3.9rpg while shooting 55.2 percent from the field.  She has scored in double-figures in the last six out of seven games, including a season-best 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds vs. Lafayette (11.30.25). 

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.

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 1,333 career points which ranks her third in the Division I era at NJIT and fourth 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 vs. Lafayette on November 30, netting 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting from the field and 6-for-14 from three-point range.  Kulyk has combined for three 20+ performances and one 30-point performance and is averaging 15.8ppg, 4.6rpg and shooting 46.2% from the field and 41.0% from three-point.  

As of December 1, Kulyk ranks tied for second in the nation in three-pointers, sixth in three-pointers per game, 20th in total field goals and 30th in the nation in total points, and 

Rising Junior Marissa Gingrich
Through the first eight games, Gingrich has scored in double-digits in six out of eight 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.

Gingrich is averaging 14.8ppg, 3.6rpg and shooting 50% from the field while combining for three 20+ performances.  

Locked in on Lock Street - Transfer Ava Locklear
Locklear, the sophomore transfer from Saginaw Valley State, is coming off a career-best 24 points at Monmouth (12.3.25).  She combined for her second straight double-double (third overall) this season.

She posted points (20) and rebounds (16) against Lafayette (11.30.25).  The 16 rebounds were four shy of the NJIT Division I record (20, Leah Horton vs. Lipscomb, 2/4/16).

This season, Locklear has combined for a three of double-doubles and pulled down at least two rebounds in nine out of 10 games.

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 Manhattan
Manhattan, still in search of its first win of the 2025 season, enters Sunday's game with an 0-8 mark.

The Jaspers and Highlanders have three common opponents on their schedule–FDU, Minnesota and Fordham.

Leading the way for the Jaspers is Brianna Davis, averaging 13.4ppg while Agar Farres Garcia tops the team on the boards with 9.1rpg.  

Davis has registered double-digit points in seven-out-of-eight games this season with a season-best 19 points vs. FDU (11.12.25).  Farres Garcia has combined four double-digit rebound games with a high of 15 rebounds against Rhode Island and FDU.

A Preseason All-MAAC third-team selection, Davis, a transfer from Queens College, completed her first season with the Jaspers in 2024-25, appearing in every game (27) and averaging 7.6ppg.

In the 2025-26 MAAC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll, Manhattan was selected to finish seventh out of 13 teams.

Next Up
NJIT will host Dartmouth (Dec. 11 at 6pm) prior to Christmas break.  The final non-conference game of the season will be on December 29 at Delaware State.  Tip off is slated for 2pm.

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.