NEWARK, N.J. – Senior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) scored 21 points on 9-13 shooting and added four rebounds and two assists as the UMass Lowell women's basketball team (2-19, 1-10 AE) fell to the NJIT Highlanders (11-11, 6-4 AE) 68-50 at the NJIT Wellness and Events Center.
 
Sophomore Ivory Finley (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored 10 points and shot 2-3 from distance with three rebounds. Graduate student Mili Carrera (Lima, Peru) had five points, two rebounds and two assists off the bench while senior Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) grabbed a team-high five rebounds and scored four points. Every River Hawk that saw game action scored on Saturday.
 
The game began with plenty of energy as both teams knocked down their first two shots for an early 4-4 score. The Highlanders had the edge on the glass in the first quarter, outrebounding the River Hawks 10-5 overall and 4-0 on the offensive glass. UMass Lowell relied on their shooting from behind the arc as Jaliena Sanchez knocked down a triple before a layup from Amaya Dowdy gave the River Hawks the lead out of the media break. Ivory Finley and Mili Carrera hit big shots late in the quarter as UMass Lowell took a 15-11 lead after one.
 
With just over two minutes gone in the second quarter, NJIT had turned the ball over seven times, but sharp shooting from behind the arc from the hosts tied the game at 19 each before a five-point burst gave the Highlanders a three-point lead at the media break. The hosts defensive pressure picked up in the second, but Jaliena Sanchez provided the spark the River Hawks needed. After NJIT extended the lead, the senior's three-point play cut the deficit to three points. Sanchez hit a mid-range jumper late in the frame to cut the lead to just one at the half. The River Hawks shot 46% from the field with Sanchez leading all scorers with 14 points on 6-7 shooting in the first half.
 
Jaliena Sanchez started the second half right where she left off in the first, getting her first shot of the half to fall and put the River Hawks in front early. NJIT responded with a. 5-0 run to retake the lead. UMass Lowell's offense ran through Sanchez, who seemingly could not miss from the field. Kenna Squier and Alejandra Zuniga combined to shoot 7-9 to give the Highlanders a nine-point edge. Finding an offensive rhythm, NJIT took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter.
 
UMass Lowell battled hard in the fourth, as they have done all season, looking to chip away at the deficit. An NJIT three on the opening possession extended the lead to 15 before the River Hawks cut the lead down to 10 after Ivory Finley's second three of the afternoon. The Highlanders had active hands and solid defense to get stops and kill valuable time on the clock and maintain a 14-point lead at the final media break. UMass Lowell fought to keep to the lead within reach, but foul trouble late gave NJIT the opportunity to ice the game at the free throw line. The Highlanders closed out the game and earned their sixth conference win of the season, defeating the River Hawks 68-50 on Saturday afternoon.