NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT women's basketball team will welcome UMass Lowell in a Thursday matinee on Education Day inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.

Education Day
Education Day is a field trip that gives local elementary and middle-school students an opportunity to participate in educational activities while attending a basketball game. Elementary schools will have a chance to tour the campus of NJIT and the WEC before the start of the game.

Game Information 
Tip off is slated for 11am inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center on ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.

Quick Hits
–NJIT started out the season 10-4, which marks the best start in the NJIT Division I era and best start since the 2005-06 season.
–In the last two seasons, NJIT has won the America East Conference opener.
–The nine non-conference wins are the most in the NJIT DI era.
–The Highlanders 11 wins have come against New Hampshire, UMBC, Delaware State, Lafayette, Sacred Heart, Fordham, St. Thomas, and home wins against Wagner, Saint Peter's Manhattan, and Drexel.
–The win for the Highlanders at UMBC was the 10th of the season (10-4), which marks the fifth consecutive season with double-digit wins.  
–Senior Alejandra Zuniga tallied a program-record 39 points at UMBC on January 1, 2026 for the Highlanders first conference win of the 2026 season.
–Sophomore 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.
–Sophomore Olivia Kulyk leads the America East Conference in overall three-point field goals made (42) and tops the conference in three-pointers per game (2.6). She sits fourth in the conference in scoring at (15.3ppg).
–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 has scored 80 or more points in three games this season.
–The Highlanders have had four players score in double-digits in five games this season.
–NJIT started the 2025 season 6-1 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
NJIT leads the all-time series, 9-5.

The Highlanders have won the last three straight and last eight out of nine games against the River Hawks.

Making a Name in the Record Books
Zuniga, from Madrid, Spain, is a three-time America East Conference All-Conference selection, and has scored 1,480 career points which ranks her second in the Division I era at NJIT and third all-time.  The all-time leading scorer at NJIT is Jessica Gerald (2007-11) with 1,504 career points. Zuniga is 24 points shy of the career milestone.

Program Record in Points for Alejandra Zuniga
NJIT rang in the New Year with an America East Conference road win at UMBC, 80-75, behind senior Alejandra Zuniga's historic night, scoring a program-record 39 points in the league opener Thursday evening inside the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in women's basketball action.

Zuniga's program-record 39 points, broke the long-standing record of 37 points set by Jessica Gerald on January 8, 2008 vs. CSU Bakersfield.  The 5-foot-6 guard from Madrid, Spain, finished 13-for-16 from the field and 12-of-16 from the free throw line.  Her 13 field goals tied the single season program record set by Jessica Gerlad (13 vs. CSU Bakersfield; January 8, 2008).

Her 39 points are also the most by an America East Conference women's basketball player since Shareesha Richards scored 41 points for UAlbany on February 25, 2026.

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).

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).

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.

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 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.

Scouting UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell enters Thursday's game 6-11 overall, 0-4 in the America East.  The River Hawks are in search of its first win in 2026, dropping the first four league contests.

The River Hawks are coming off an 80-52 loss to Binghamton led by Sabrina Larson with 18 points, including five three-pointers.  Jaini Edmonds is the lone River Hawk averaging double-figures (12.9ppg) while Maddie Rice tops the team on the boards (6.1rpg) and ranks in the top eight of the America East.

Next Up
NJIT will visit Bryant on Saturday at 2pm on ESPN+.

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.