Mountain Hawks erase ten point deficit to beat NJIT, 77-72

Monday, November 11

7:00:00 PM

Lehigh University

2-0

NJIT

0-2

Team	1	2	F
NJIT	39	33	72
Lehigh	34	43	77

Mountain Hawks erase ten point deficit to beat NJIT, 77-72

11/11/2013 9:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh women's basketball team erased a ten point second-half deficit to rally and defeat NJIT 77-72 Monday night inside Stabler Arena. The Mountain Hawks improved to 8-0 all time versus the Highlanders and claimed their second win to start 2-0 for the first time since the 1990-00 season.

"I give the kids a lot of credit because they really fought hard," said head coach Sue Troyan. "It's very different than being in a game with a 20-point lead and being able to cruise through. They really had to gut it out, which was a great experience for a young team."

Sophomore Kerry Kinek finished the game with a team-leading 20 points and 12 rebounds, to record her first double-double of the season and second straight 20-plus point game. Junior Katie O'Reilly followed with 15 points, while junior Sarah Williams and freshman Lexi Martins each chipped in ten.

Lehigh got out to a quick 4-0 start thanks to a free throw and three-pointer from O'Reilly. NJIT eventually took a 5-4 lead before six straight Lehigh points gave the Mountain Hawks an 11-5 lead. Lehigh led by as much as ten at 19-9 before NJIT put in 11 straight points with the help of two three-pointers from Martina Matejcikova to take a 20-19 lead. The teams exchanged points until two free throws from sophomore Elizabeth Sharlow gave the Mountain Hawks a 29-28 advantage, but seven unanswered Highlanders points gave NJIT a 35-29 lead. Lehigh closed out the half with two O'Reilly free throws to cut the Highlanders' lead to 39-34.

The Mountain Hawks shot just 26.5 percent (9-for-34) from the field, while the Highlanders shot 45.5 percent (15-for-33). Lehigh made 12 of its 18 free throw attempts in the opening half.

The Highlanders extended their lead to 10 points early in the second half at 53-43. The Mountain Hawks put together a 15-5 run with the help of eight points from Kinek. In a second half that featured four ties and 11 lead changes, the game was knotted at 72 when Williams hit a three-pointer with 25 seconds remaining to give Lehigh a 75-72 advantage.

NJIT came back looking to tie, but Nicole Maticka missed a three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining. Williams and Kinek made free throws in the final seconds to help to the Mountain Hawks to their second home-opener win in three years.

The Mountain Hawks committed just eight turnovers in the game, compared to NJIT's 14. Lehigh shot 39.7 percent from the field, including 55.2 (16-for-29) in the second half. NJIT narrowly out-rebounded Lehigh, 41-39.

"We're moving the ball and we're playing at our pace," said Williams. "We get a lot more offensive chances this way and we need to do a good job of continuing to take advantage of those."

Shakia Robinson led NJIT (0-2) with 21 points, while Matejcikova added 17.

The Mountain Hawks remain home to host Big East foe Villanova on Thursday at 11 a.m. The contest will be Lehigh's fourth annual Education Day, presented by Wells Fargo. Over 3,600 school children will be in attendance and will have the opportunity to participate in educational activities surrounding a Division I women's basketball game.

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