Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. – Houston Baptist shot just 25 percent from the floor and scored a season-low 28 points in an 88-28 loss at NJIT Saturday afternoon from the Fleischer Athletic Center.

Joselyn Pugh led HBU with 10 points and was tied with Devyn Weymouth with five rebounds. Tayler Jefferson scored seven points, as she had two assists, one block and one steal.

Five Highlanders finished in double-figures, led by Uju Nwankwo with 16 points. Rayven Johnson scored 14, Jelena Zoric with 12 and Nicole Maticka and Martina Matejcikova with 10 apiece. On the glass, Nwankwo was tops with 10 rebounds.

HBU started the game cold from the floor, not making its first shot until a Jefferson three-pointer at the 13:19-mark, making the score 18-3 NJIT.

NJIT scored four-straight points before Pugh hit a jumper at the 10:19-mark, as NJIT led the Huskies, 22-5. Pugh followed that with another layup two minutes later, as the score was 28-7 with eight minutes remaining in the opening half.

NJIT closed out the final eight minutes on a 23-4 run to lead the Huskies 51-11 at the break.

Pugh led HBU with six points, as Jefferson had three and Brittany Barton had two. Nwankwo came off the bench to score a half-high 14 points for the Highlanders, followed by 10 for Johnson.

NJIT started the second half with a three by Maticka, followed by a layup by Nwankwo. Pugh hit a jumper for the Huskies to make the score 56-13 with 17:48 remaining in the game, but NJIT used a 17-7 run to lead 73-20 with 6:30 left in the game.

Following a three by Kim Tullis that gave NJIT an 81-21 lead with 4:55 remaining, the Huskies and Highlanders tied 7-7 in the final minutes, as Barton hit a three and Jefferson and Pugh each had layups.

HBU will return home next weekend for the final home games of the regular season against Utah Valley on Feb. 23 and North Dakota on Feb. 25, both games at 7 pm.