WEST POINT, NY – The NJIT women's basketball program saw its record-setting season come to a close Sunday afternoon, falling 59-52 to Army West Point in the second round of the WNIT inside Christl Arena.

Historic Season for Highlanders
NJIT wraps up one of the most successful seasons in program history, highlighted by several milestones:

• Sunday's contest marked the first time NJIT advanced to the second round of the WNIT.

• The Highlanders earned their first-ever postseason victory with a win at Merrimack on March 19.

• This season marked NJIT's first postseason appearance in the Division I era and second overall (2004-05 ECAC Tournament).

• NJIT set a program record with 19 total wins, surpassing the previous mark of 18 (2004-05).

• The Highlanders recorded a program-best 10 road victories.

• NJIT finished with nine America East Conference wins, tying the program record (2021-22), and added nine non-conference victories—the most in the Division I era.

• NJIT entered the America East Championship as the No. 5 seed and dropped a narrow 66-65 decision at No. 4 UMBC in the quarterfinals.

Individual Highlights
Senior Alejandra Zuniga, NJIT's all-time leading scorer (1,741 points), capped her standout career as a four-time All-America East selection and a finalist for the 2026 Lilly Women's College All-Star Game. She averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game this season.

Olivia Kulyk earned All-America East Second Team honors, leading the conference with 76 three-pointers (2.5 per game).

Game Recap
NJIT opened strong, using a 21-3 run over a 6:21 stretch—capped by a corner three from Marissa Gingrich—to build a 26-13 lead after the first quarter.

Army responded in the second, trimming the deficit to single digits before NJIT carried a 35-24 advantage into halftime following a late 5-2 run. Gingrich led all scorers at the break with 13 points.

In the third quarter, NJIT pushed its lead back to 10 (43-33) on a jumper by Zuniga, but Army closed the period on a 9-2 run to make it 45-41 entering the fourth.

Army completed the comeback in the final quarter, outscoring NJIT 18-7. After tying the game at 49-49 on a Kulyk three-pointer, the Highlanders were unable to regain momentum as the Black Knights closed on a 10-3 run to secure the victory.

Zuniga led NJIT with 17 points and three steals, while Gingrich added 13 points, including three three-pointers. Kulyk contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, and Madilyn Dogs anchored the defense with three steals and two blocks.

Senior Class & Career Notes
Three Highlanders played their final collegiate game: Kyleigh Welsh, Avery O'Roke, and Alejandra Zuniga.

Welsh and O'Roke were four-year members of the program and seven-time Dean's List honorees. Both will graduate in May with degrees in business.

Zuniga concludes her career as one of the most decorated players in program history. In addition to her scoring record, she ranks second in the Division I era with 338 assists and set a single-game program record with 39 points at UMBC on January 1.

Zuniga's career honors include:

• 2026 America East First Team

• 2026 America East All-Academic Team

• 2025 America East First Team

• 2025 Preseason All-Conference

• 2024 America East Second Team

• 2023 America East Rookie of the Year

• 2023 America East All-Rookie Team

• 2023 America East Third Team

A two-time CSC Academic All-District selection, she will graduate in May with a degree in communications and media.

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