Women's Basketball Earns First Playoff Victory with Win Against Merrimack

Published: Friday, March 20, 2026

The NJIT women's basketball team made history Thursday evening, securing its first postseason victory with a 68–65 win over Merrimack in the opening round of the WNIT at Lawler Arena.

With the win, the Highlanders improved to a program-record 19 victories on the season. The mark surpasses the total achieved in the 2004-05 season.

NJIT (19-12) was led by senior guard Alejandra Zuniga, who scored a game-high 20 points. Ava Locklear recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Allison Cannon added 11 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting performance, along with six rebounds and four assists.

Merrimack (19-13) opened the game strong, using a 12–3 run to build an early advantage and extending its lead to as many as 14 points, 23–9, late in the first quarter. NJIT responded with a 10–2 run over the final 3:07 of the period to cut the deficit to 25–19 heading into the second.

The Highlanders continued to chip away in the second quarter. A three-pointer by Zuniga brought NJIT within six at 28–22, and her three-point play at the 1:32 mark sparked a 6–0 run. Olivia Kulyk capped the surge with a three-pointer in the final minute, trimming the deficit to 38–35 at halftime.

NJIT carried that momentum into the third quarter, opening on an 8–2 run to pull within one point. The Highlanders tied the game at 52 before taking their first lead, 53–52, on a pair of free throws by Zuniga with just over a minute remaining in the quarter. A coast-to-coast layup by Marissa Gingrich extended the lead to 55–52.

Merrimack answered to begin the fourth, scoring 10 straight points to regain control and take a 64–55 lead just under the seven minute mark. NJIT once again responded, sparked by a three-point play from Zuniga and a layup by Madilyn Dogs to make it a four-point game midway through the quarter.

Trailing 65–60 with just over five minutes remaining, the Highlanders closed the game on a dominant 13–1 run, holding Merrimack scoreless from the field down the stretch to secure the historic road victory.

WNIT Information
Now in its 28th year, the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), powered by Triple Crown Sports, features a 48-team field that includes nine automatic qualifiers and 39 at-large selections from conferences across the country.

WNIT Schedule

  • Round 1: March 19–21, 2026

  • Round 2: March 22–24, 2026

  • Super 16: March 25–27, 2026

  • Great 8: March 28–30, 2026

  • Fab 4: March 31–April 1, 2026

  • Championship: April 4, 2026

Next Up
NJIT advances to the second round and will travel to face Army West Point on Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m.