NJIT's Wilnir Louis and Head Coach Mike Lane Preview the America East Playoffs

NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT women's basketball team is headed back to the postseason.

NJIT has earned its sixth straight trip to the America East Conference Tournament and will enter as the No. 5 seed. The Highlanders (18-11, 9-7 AE) travel to No. 4 UMBC Retrievers (15-13, 10-6 AE) for a quarterfinal match up on Thursday, March 5.

Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on the UMBC campus. The game will stream on ESPN+, with live stats available via UMBCRetrievers.com.

The all-time series is tied 6-6, with the teams splitting this season's meetings. NJIT earned an 80-75 win on January 1 behind a program-record 39 points from senior Alejandra Zuniga, while UMBC edged the Highlanders 52-51 on January 22.

Postseason Experience
NJIT has reached the America East quarterfinals in each of the past six seasons, advancing to the semifinals in 2021-22. The Highlanders are seeking their first conference tournament win since that 2022 quarterfinal victory.

Highlanders Notes

• NJIT's 18 wins mark a Division I program record and tie the overall single-season program record (2004-05; Division II).

• The Highlanders' nine conference victories match the program's Division I high (2021-22).

• NJIT opened the season 10-4 — its best Division I start — and went 6-1 to begin the year for the first time in program history.

• The team has scored 80+ points three times and recorded five games with four double-figure scorers.

Senior Alejandra Zuniga became NJIT's all-time leading scorer earlier this season and ranks second in the conference in scoring (17.8 ppg) while sitting top-eight in assists (fifth) and minutes played (eighth). 

Sophomore Olivia Kulyk leads the league in three-pointers made (70) and three-pointers per game (2.5), ranking fifth in scoring (15.0 ppg). 

Sophomore Allison Cannon recorded the program's first Division I-era triple-double (14 pts, 11 ast, 10 reb) on November 30.

The Fast Lane
2025-26: 18-11, 9-6 AE
2024-25: 11-18, 8-8 AE
2023-24: 12-17, 4-10 AE
2022-23: 13-15, 8-8 AE
2021-22: 15-15, 9-8 AE
2020-21: 4-14, 4-9 AE
2019-20: 4-25, 1-15 AE
2018-19: 6-24, 3-13 ASUN

With momentum and history on the line, the Highlanders look to continue their record-setting season in Baltimore.

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