Zuniga's 29 Points Lead to 4th Straight Win, NJIT Remains Perfect in America East

Rising junior Alejandra Zuniga scored a game-best 29 points leading the Highlanders to a 72-54 home victory over visiting UMass Lowell in America East Conference women's basketball action inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center Saturday afternoon. 

NJIT, winners of four straight, improved to 6-10 overall and remain perfect in America East with a 3-0 mark.

Post Game Interview with head coach Mike Lane and Alejandra Zuniga | Post Game Wrap Up with assistant coach Payce Lange 

The last time NJIT won four in a row and started the America East slate 3-0 dates back to the 2021-22 season. After Saturday's conference game, UAlbany sits ahead of the Highlanders in the conference standings at 4-0 mark.

In addition to the 29 points for Zuniga, she shot 12-for-18 from the field and dished out six assists. Zuniga cracked the top-10 in career points (now standing at 1,083 points), surpassing alum and Assistant Coach Kelly Guarino (1,068 points; 2015-19).

Four-time America East Conference Rookie of the Week Olivia Kulyk added 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks in the win for NJIT.

Point guard Marissa Gingrich chipped in nine points and four steals, Trinity Williams added seven points, nine rebounds while Kyleigh Welsh and Enya Maguire each tallied six points.

In the opening five minutes, NJIT led 8-4 with four out of five starters with at least one point and one rebound paced by Trinity Williams with two points and three rebounds. NJIT went on a 10-1 spurt to push its lead to double-digits, 15-5, resulting in a UMass Lowell timeout at the 2:39 mark. UMass Lowell cut the Highlanders lead to seven, 20-13, at the end of the first period, knocking down a three-pointer.

UMass Lowell used a 10-4 run to begin the second quarter, slimming the deficit to four points, 27-23. Enya Maguire got the Highlanders back on the board, connecting on a three-pointer from the corner with 4:16 on the clock to spark a 7-2 run for the home team, extending its lead to nine, 34-29, with less than two minutes to play. Olivia Kulyk scored a pair of free throws with thirty seconds left in the first half and the Highlanders took a nine-point lead, 36-27, at the half.

After 20 minutes of action, Alejandra Zuniga shared game-high honors with Jennah Johnson with nine points.

A 18-6 start to the third quarter (14-2 over 4:46) extended the NJIT lead to 21, 55-33, capped by an old-fashioned three-point play by Trinity Williams.

NJIT continued its run in the fourth quarter, using an 8-3 spurt midway capped by a three-pointer at the top of the arc by Alejandra Zuniga for a 17-point lead, 65-48 at the 5:40 mark. UMass Lowell came as close as 13, 67-54 with 2:24 left in the game but the Highlanders scored the final five points of the game to secure the 72-54 victory.

UMass Lowell had two players score 15 points – Rayne Durant and Jennah Johnson. Durant combined for a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots.

As a team, NJIT finished 51.9 percent from the field and 44.4% from three-point range.

Next Up
NJIT will take its first long league trip, traveling to Maine (Jan. 16; 6 p.m.) and New Hampshire (Jan. 18; 6 p.m.).