NEWARK, NJ–UMBC outscored NJIT 21-9 in the final quarter and went on to edge the Highlanders 52-51 Thursday evening in America East Conference action inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
The Retrievers, winners of four straight, improved to an even 9-9 on the season, 4-2 in the league while the Highlanders moved to 13-7 overall, 4-3 in the America East.
UMBC, trailing by one with less than ten seconds, found Jade Tillman down-low and sank the game-winning basket in a come-from-behind win at NJIT.
NJIT, ahead by seven, 42-31, heading into the fourth quarter, saw the Retrievers score the first seven points of the fourth quarter, slimming the Highlander lead to four, 42-38. NJIT pushed its lead back up to six, 44-38, with six minutes left to play on a layup by Allsion Cannon.
Zuniga knocked down a pair of free throws with 56.3 seconds left on the clock to give NJIT a three-point lead, 50-47 but the Retrievers knocked down a three-pointer in the corner out of the timeout, knotting the game at 50 with fifty seconds on the clock. The Highlanders missed one-of-two from the free throw line with less than thirty seconds left to play, leaving an opportunity to the Retrievers to answer on the opposite end.
Leading all scorers was Zuniga with 22 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line in addition to grabbing five rebounds. Olivia Kulyk was the other double-figurer scorer on the night for the Highlanders, netting 11.
Kulyk and Madilyn Dogs paced NJIT on the boards with six while Kyleigh Welsh combined for a career-best seven blocks (three shy of the NJIT Division I single-game record; Nicole Maticka vs. Longwood, 2/26/12).
The 12 team blocks is a season-high–the last time the Highlanders recorded 12 blocks was against Merrimack in 2023.
NJIT took a 19-14 lead after the first 10 minutes in Newark, closing out the first quarter on a 10-4 run in the final 3:30.
The Highlanders edged the Retrievers in the second quarter, 11-9, outscoring UMBC 7-3 in the final 3:27, heading into the locker room with a seven-point lead, 30-23.
Zuniga led all scorers with 13 points followed by Olivia Kulyk with nine points. Ava Locklear grabbed five rebounds.
Zuniga scored six of the Highlanders eight points in the third quarter into the 3:45 mark for a 38-29 advantage. NJIT finished the quarter on an 8-2 spurt for a 11-point lead, 42-31.
Tillman led the Retrievers with a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds).
In pregame ceremonies, NJIT presented Zuniga with the official ball from the night she became the Highlanders' all-time leading scorer. Last Saturday during the Highlanders road victory over Bryant, history was made. At the 4:07 mark in the third quarter, senior guard Alejandra Zuniga became NJIT's all-time leading scorer with 1,505 career points.
Next Up
NJIT will have a bye weekend and be back in action on January 29, hosting UAlbany at 6pm on ESPN+.
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