Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. – Shanice Steenholdt led Houston Baptist with her 14th double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds, but the Huskies couldn't overcome a poor shooting and rebounding as NJIT defeated HBU, 77-48, Saturday afternoon from the Fleisher Center.

Steenholdt led HBU (4-20, 0-4 GWC) with her third 20+-point performance in the last four games. Rachel Arthur scored 14 points, which are the most in a conference game for the freshman.

Rayven Johnson led NJIT (12-15, 4-2 GWC) with 20 points and 17 rebounds. Uju Nwankwo had seven points and 14 boards. As a team, NJIT out-rebounded HBU 67-29.

"NJIT played extremely hard and out-hustled us," said head coach Mary Gleason. "We have to put 40 minutes of hustle together. Good things always happen when we hustle and play hard. We had flashes of attacking hard in the half court, but just not enough to dig ourselves out of the hole. We have to regroup and be ready to play Texas State Wednesday night."

It was 2-0 NJIT at the first media timeout, at the 15:56-mark, as both teams were struggling making shots. The Highlanders started clicking once Martina Matejcikova entered the game for NJIT, as she made a jumper, then assisted on a three-pointer by Denisa Domiterova, as NJIT led HBU, 9-0, with 13:43 remaining in the first half.

Five-straight points made the score, 9-5, as Steenholdt made a jumper, then Meghan Shank nailed a trey. Matejcikova and Rachel Arthur traded threes to make the score, 12-7, with 11:38 remaining, but NJIT used a 7-1 run to lead the Huskies 21-8 with 7:56 to go in the first half.

HBU came as close as 12, 25-15, with just over five minutes to go in the first half, but NJIT used another big run, this time a 10-2 stretch, to lead by 20, 25-15, with 2:27 to go. Wiebke Bruns scored her first points of the first half with 1:49 remaining, but Domiterova nailed a trey with 51 seconds to make the score, 38-19.

HBU was led by Steenholdt with nine points and five rebounds. Johnson led NJIT with eight points and nine boards.
After a Steenholdt layup made the score 40-21 at the 17:07-mark of the second half, NJIT used a 6-0 run, four of those points coming on free throws, for a 46-21 lead.

For three-straight possessions, Steenholdt had the chance for the old-fashioned three-point play, making eight of nine possible points in a span of 2 ½ minutes.

Steenholdt did all she could do to keep the Huskies in the ball game, scoring 14 of her 23 points in the second stanza, but a 33-18 differential in rebounds and 15-of-21 at the foul line kept the Highlanders in control throughout.

HBU will return home to face Texas State on Wed., Feb. 20 at 7 pm.