NEWARK, N.J. – Colgate women's basketball broke a three-game skid on the road at NJIT topping the Highlanders 69-51.
Lead changes were not a worry in the game, as Colgate held the lead for 38:49 of the 40 minutes, with the Raiders' largest lead being 19 points in the fourth quarter.
NJIT opened the scoring, but the first five minutes was all Colgate, as the Raiders went on a 12-1 run. New Jersey native
Jenna Paul was responsible for 6-of-12 points in the run, scoring two three-point field goals.
The Highlanders broke up Colgate's run with a layup to trail 12-5, but sophomore
Morgan McMahon responded with her own. NJIT responded with a 5-2 run that extended for most of the final five minutes of the first.
Sophia Diehl scored the two Raider points mid-Highlander run. McMahon ended the first quarter by taking a trip to the charity stripe to bump the Raiders' lead to 17-10.
Freshman
Christina Midgette opened the second-period scoring with a free throw. NJIT tried to make up for the foul by scoring a field goal to trail by six points. Trying to start a streak from their layup, the Highlanders scored a three-point play after a foul on the Raiders. Colgate then answered with a three-point play, scored by guard
Taylor Golembiewski, to have the Raiders leading 21-15.
NJIT responded with a 4-2 run to trail by four points with five minutes remaining in the first half.
Abbey Ferguson then went to the foul line, scoring two to extend the Raiders' lead to 25-19. Both teams then went on to score back-to-back layups.
Paul scored a three-pointer with less than a minute remaining in the first half. The Highlanders responded with a field goal to trail 30-23 to end the second. Eight of the 13 Raider second-period points came from New Jersey natives in Ferguson, Midgette, Paul, and Schiller.
The second half opened with a 4-2 Raider run, with McMillan scoring the four points to extend Colgate's lead to 34-25. Golembiewski kept the offense going, scoring a jumper to bring the Raiders' lead to 11 points. NJIT retaliated with a layup, but Colgate responded with a 5-0 run to lead 41-27.
The Highlanders, not going down lightly, responded with a 7-2 run to trail Colgate 43-34. Schiller broke up the run, with McMillan following with another two points to bump Colgate's lead back to 13 points. NJIT ended the third period with a 5-2 run, with Golembiewski scoring the basket for the Raiders.
The fourth period opened with intensity, as both teams scored nine straight points, with Colgate coming out on top at 53-44. The game continued to stay all Colgate, as the Raiders went on a 6-2 run to lead by 11 points. NJIT broke up Colgate's run with two quick baskets, but the Raiders started a new run, this time a 10-0 run to lead 69-50 that settled any thoughts of a Highlanders' comeback. The game closed with NJIT taking one final trip to the foul line scoring a point. All 20 Raider points scored in the fourth came from within the arc.
NOTES
- Colgate scored 11 points off turnovers in the first half of play.
- Golembiewski and McMillan scored in the double figures with 15 and 12 points.
- Field goals were the name of the game, as a total of 74 were scored in the paint, with 38 coming from the Raiders.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Women's Basketball Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan
"We've talked a lot recently about playing for a full 40 minutes, which starts with our effort, intensity, and focus at the start of the game. I thought our team was ready to play this game, and you could see it on the defensive end with how we limited NJIT to 10 points in the first period. That helped us carry our momentum into the rest of the game. Being able to follow the game plan was also a big key to our success in the game.
"I was very pleased to see Tiasia step up after not starting the game well. She was able to reset and provided a huge scoring spark for us. Taylor again played well, but the most impressive thing from her was the seven defensive boards she got. That is something we keep challenging all our guards to do is rebound in the defensive zone.
"I'm really happy with our four New Jersey players who contributed in different ways for us. It was nice to see them play well in front of their families and friends.
"I'm excited about the win. I felt like we improved tremendously on things we needed to fix over the last couple of games, so being able to see it throughout the 40 minutes is always refreshing for a coach. We're looking forward to our next opportunity against Siena, another team who plays hard. So, we have to come in and give our best effort."
UP NEXT
Colgate (4-4) finally returns home on Saturday, Dec. 10, to take on Siena. Tip-off against the Saints is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Cotterell Court.
