VIDEO: Post Game Interview w/ head coach Mike Lane and Marissa Gingrich
VIDEO: Post Game Wrap Up w/ ESPN+ Drew Casey and Assistant Coach Colleen Moriarty
VIDEO: NJIT Highlights vs. Rider
NEWARK, NJ — Senior
Marissa Gingrich poured in a game-high 21 points to lead three Highlanders in double figures as NJIT opened its 2026-27 women's basketball season with a 50-45 victory over visiting Rider Monday night in non-conference action at the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
NJIT (1-0) delivered a critical defensive stand in the fourth quarter, holding Rider (0-1) scoreless over nine consecutive possessions from 4:42 to :28, turning a 43-40 advantage into a 48-40 lead. The Highlanders dominated the glass, 48-38, blocked nine shots and held a 12-4 advantage in second-chance points.
Gingrich led all scorers with 21 points, while Mia Gestosani added a career-high 14 points and five rebounds. Allison Cannon also reached double figures with 10 points.
Madilyn Dogs paced the Highlanders on the boards with a career-best 12 rebounds. Mackenzie Wright-Rawls contributed eight rebounds, while Ava Locklear added five.
First Quarter
After Rider opened with an 8-4 advantage at the 5:36 mark, NJIT responded with a decisive 12-0 run to take control. Gingrich started the surge with a fastbreak layup, followed by a pair of baskets from Cannon before Gestosani capped the run with a three-pointer for a 16-8 Highlander lead with 1:35 remaining.
Rider answered with a three-pointer, but Cannon connected on a jumper with 51 seconds left as NJIT carried an 18-11 advantage into the second quarter. The Highlanders shot 8-of-18 from the floor and held a 14-4 edge in points in the paint while recording three blocks.
Second Quarter
Cannon's tip-in at 8:54 extended NJIT's lead to 20-11, but Rider battled back, using a stretch of Highlander scoring drought to take a 21-20 advantage.
Gingrich quickly put NJIT back in front with a layup at 3:22, and Olivia O'Meally added a free throw before Gingrich scored again inside. The senior guard closed the half in impressive fashion, knocking down a three-pointer off a Gestosani assist with 29 seconds remaining to send the Highlanders into the locker room with a 28-23 lead.
Third Quarter
Gingrich continued to fuel the Highlander offense coming out of halftime, accounting for NJIT's first 11 points of the quarter. She opened with a layup at 9:48, connected from beyond the arc off a Dogs assist at 8:19 and added four free throws to help NJIT build a 37-24 advantage at the 7:24 mark.
The Highlanders also made their presence felt defensively, highlighted by a Gestosani steal and a block from Piper Engelby. Gingrich added another jumper at 4:24 to keep NJIT comfortably ahead, 39-26, but Rider closed the quarter with six unanswered points to trim the deficit to 39-32 heading into the final period.
Fourth Quarter
Rider continued to chip away at the Highlander lead early in the fourth. Aliya McIver's three-pointer at 8:38 made it 39-35, and Alena Cofield's fastbreak layup brought the Broncs within two, 40-38.
Gestosani answered with a basket inside and a free throw to push NJIT's lead back to five. After Cofield's jumper at 5:26 made it a 43-40 game, the Highlanders locked in defensively, holding Rider scoreless for nine consecutive possessions.
Locklear delivered a key block at 2:04 as NJIT continued to make defensive stops and capitalize at the free-throw line. Locklear, Gingrich and Gestosani combined to extend the Highlander advantage to 50-40. Giana Hoddinott scored Rider's final five points in the closing seconds, but NJIT's defensive effort proved to be the difference as the Highlanders secured the 50-45 season-opening victory.
Next Up
NJIT returns to the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center on November 5, welcoming Merrimack at 6 p.m. as part of the America East-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Challenge.
Stay Connected
Stay up to date throughout the NJIT women's basketball season by following @NJITWBB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and by liking the NJIT Women's Basketball page on Facebook.
