Newark, NJ – Chloe Sterling set a new career-high with 21 points scored as the Hofstra women's basketball team won, 74-69, over NJIT for the first win of the season from the NJIT Wellness & Events Center.
 
Hofstra evens its record to 1-1 with the win, and NJIT falls to 1-1.
 
In addition to her 21 points, Sterling racked up eight rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals in the win. Newark, New Jersey-native Zyheima Swint posted 13 points and 13 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, while LaNae' Corbett scored 15 points and pulled down nine rebounds, and Emma Von Essen dropped 12 points on the Highlanders.
 
After falling behind by four early in the first quarter, Hofstra scored eight unanswered points to pull in front by four with 3:50 remaining in the quarter, but NJIT rallied for five points on their next two possessions to retake the lead. The Pride and the Highlanders traded points down the final three minutes of the quarter to set the score at 19-19 after one quarter of play.
 
An 11-1 run to open the second quarter put the hosts in front by 10. A driving layup from Ramatoulaye Keita at 6:12 sparked a 10-2 run to bring the Pride to within two of NJIT, but the Highlanders rattled off nine unanswered points in a three minute spurt to lead by 11. A free throw by Swint in the final moments of the quarter put the score at 41-31 in favor of NJIT heading into the halftime break.
 
The teams traded scoring possessions to begin the third quarter, with the margin of difference remaining in the double-digits halfway through the frame. After the Highlanders saw its lead grow to 12 points – the largest of the game for either side – at the 5:14 mark and again at with 3:30 left on the clock, Hofstra responded with a 9-0 run lasting until Corbett converted a layup off an NJIT turnover to put the visitors behind by just three points with 2:08 to go before the end of the quarter. NJIT ended the quarter with a 7-2 run to lead by seven heading into the final 10 minutes of the contest.
 
After allowing NJIT to shoot 58.3% in the third quarter, the Pride defense stepped up in a big way in the fourth quarter, holding NJIT to just 20% shooting from the floor. Hofstra opened the quarter with a 10-2 run, capped off by a Janaia Fargo three-pointer at the 7:00 to give the Pride its first lead since 50 seconds remained in the first quarter. The Highlanders briefly regained the lead with three straight points, but the Pride responded with a 10-1 run, sparked by a Corbett layup at 4:39, to lead by six inside the game's final minute. Von Essen's fourth three-pointer of the game at 4:19 put the Pride in front for good. Zuniga knocked down one of her three three-pointers to cut Hofstra's lead to three with 37 seconds left, but free throws by Micaela Carter and Sabrina Larsson put the game out of reach.
 
Zuniga led all players with 24 points in Friday's game, while Olivia Kulyk finished with 13 points and Enya Maguire scored 10 for the Highlanders.
 
Hofstra returns to the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Tuesday, November 12, for a 5 p.m. contest versus Yale. For ticket information, visit HofstraTickets.com, call (516) HOF-TIXX, or visit the Hofstra Athletics Ticket Office in the Mack Sports Complex lobby during normal business hours.
 
NOTES:
-Hofstra improved to 5-0 all-time against NJIT.
-This was the 10th double-double of Swint's Hofstra career.
-The Pride outrebounded NJIT, 44-36, and scored 24 second-chance points on 16 offensive rebounds.
-The Pride shot a game-high 50% (7-14) from the floor in the fourth quarter.