VIDEO: Post Game Interview with head coach Mike Lane
DURHAM, NH–NJIT scored 22 fourth-quarter points and had four players score in double-figures paced by Ava Locklear's double-double (11 points, 14 rebounds) as the Highlanders came from behind to pick up a 69-62 road victory at New Hampshire Thursday evening in America East Conference action inside Lundholm Gymnasium.
NJIT (11-5, 2-1 America East), down by as many as six in the fourth quarter, 60-54, used a 9-0 spurt to pull ahead by three, 63-60, with two minutes left to go and finished the game on a 15-2 run over span of 6:11 to secure the road victory.
In addition to Locklear's 11 points, Alejandra Zuniga led the Highlanders with 19 points followed by Olivia Kulyk (14) and Allison Cannon (13).
Locklear posted her second straight double-double and fifth overall this season, pulling down 14 rebounds as the Highlanders outrebounded the Wildcats, 44-to-37. Cannon grabbed seven rebounds while Kulyk and Madilyn Dogs each recorded six rebounds.
NJIT jumped out to an early 7-2 lead behind a pair of three-pointers by Olivia Kulyk and Allison Cannon four minutes into action but New Hampshire scored five straight to tie the game at 7-all. A 6-2 run for the Highlanders pushed its lead to four, 13-9, at the 1:09 mark. A three-pointer by UNH pulled the home team within one, 14-13.
New Hampshire (6-10, 0-3 America East) scored the first five points of the second quarter as the Highlanders answered with five straight of their own capped by a three-pointer from the corner by Alejandra Zuniga at the 7:01 mark for a 19-18 lead. The Wildcats used a 7-1 run into the under-five media timeout, taking a 27-23 advantage. Kulyk brought the Highlanders back to within one a layup, 30-29, at the 1:40 mark but the home team scored four consecutive points for a five-point lead, 34-29. NJIT's Madilyn Dogs connected on a tough layup with under a minute to go as the Highlanders headed into the locker room down three, 34-31.
Zuniga led the Highlanders with 10 points followed by Cannon and Kulyk with seven points.
The Highlanders used an 8-0 run to take a three-point lead, 41-38, to start the third quarter. The Wildcats connected on a three-pointer to knot the game at 41-all at the 4:41 mark. The Wildcats sank a three-pointer at the end of the third period for a three-point game, 50-47.
NJIT poured in 22 fourth quarter points, outscoring New Hampshire, 22-12. A tough turnaround jumper by Kulyk started the Highlanders comeback, closing the Wildcat gap to within one, 53-52, at the 8:07 mark.
New Hampshire scored four straight and increased its lead to five, 57-52, resulting in a timeout by NJIT. Behind a 9-0 run over the span of 4:38, NJIT took a three-point lead on a cross over move by Marissa Gingrich at the 1:51 mark and finished the game on a 15-2 run securing the 69-62 road victory.
New Hampshire's Eva DeChent, who ranks second in the America East in scoring, combined for a double-double, 34 points and 11 rebounds in the home loss.
As a team, NJIT finished the game shooting 40.7% from the field (22-for-54) and 73.3% from the free throw line (22-for-30).
Next Up
NJIT will continue its road swing at Maine (January 10) with the game streamed live on ESPN+ and in-game statistics available on GoBlackBears.com.
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