The Huskies are 0-2 all-time against the Highlanders, with both meetings coming last season in the inaugural year of the league. NJIT defeated HBU, 83-70, in Sharp Gym on Jan. 16 as Jessica Gerald scored 30 points and Ivana Seric recorded a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds for the visitors. Raquel Jones scored 22 points for the Huskies as Taniqua Hollis added 14 and Destini Texada scored 12.
In the second meeting, the Highlanders prevailed 72-46 on Feb. 18 in Newark. Again, Gerald scored the game high in points, scoring 22. Taiwo Oyelola scored 15 and grabbed seven rebounds. Hollis finished the game with 10 points while Texada recorded a game-high 10 rebounds for the Huskies.
HBU (2-14, 0-1 GWC) began Great West action with a 94-56 loss at Chicago State Thursday night. Texada led the Huskies in scoring for the third time in the last six games, dropping 16 points and also grabbing a game-high eight rebounds. Jamie Spriggs was second in points with 14 while grabbing six rebounds in just 16 minutes of action. Megan Green scored 10 points and tied season-highs with three rebounds and three 3-pointers made.
Texada is 10th in the conference in points per game, averaging 12.1, and third in the league with 7.9 rebounds per game. She leads the team in both categories, along with field-goal percentage (51%). Spriggs is second on the team, averaging 8.7 ppg and her 4.3 rpg is third-best on the team. Ernesta Griciunaite's 5.8 rpg is sandwiched between Texada and Spriggs. Tia Jackson is third on the team with 7.6 ppg and leads the Huskies with 64 assists and 27 steals.
NJIT (4-10, 1-0 GWC) opened conference play Wednesday night hosting UT-Pan American, earning a 68-60 win.
Gerald led all scorers with 24 points on 7-of-18 shooting and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. It was the third-straight game she led her team in points. Rayven Johnson scored 12 points and Kimberly Dweck added 11. Seric nearly had a double-double as she finished with nine points and 11 rebounds. For UTPA, CeMonay Newell led the Lady Broncs with 16 points while Donna Jackson added 15 and Bianca Torre scored 12. Torre finished the game with half of the team's eight steals.
NJIT features the third-best scoring defense in the Great West, keeping opponents to 66.4 points a game. Gerald is sixth in the conference with 14.4 ppg. Melanie Griffin is second on the team averaging 11.5 ppg and Johnson is third with 10.5 ppg, but leads the Highlanders with 5.9 rpg. Kristian Parker has 18 of the team's 48 blocks.
The Highlanders started the season slow, going 1-8 in the team's first nine games, but have gone 3-2 since then.
