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 NJIT's senior guard Erika Velez |
March 6, 2008
EDINBURG, TX - Florida Gulf Coast's Delia De La Torre scored a game-high 21 points en route to a 75-63 win over NJIT in the opening round of the 2007-08 Division I women's basketball National Independent Tournament.
Florida Gulf Coast, who finished second in the Atlantic Sun conference, improved its record to 19-8. NJIT, competing in its second year at the Division I level under first-year head coach Margaret McKeon fall to 8-19.
The Highlanders will return to action tomorrow when they face host Texas-Pan American at 8:05pm (CT) at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
Along with De La Torre's 21 points, she shot 7-for-8 from the free throw line while teammate Amanda Pierce who was on fire in the first half ended the game with 14 points, shooting 4-for-8 from behind the three point arc.
Point guard Chelsea Dermyer finished two assists shy a triple double putting up 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Adrianne McNally added 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Highlanders were led by senior guard Erika Velez -- one of four double-figure scorers for the Highlanders -- posting 15 points while pulling down five rebounds in 29 minutes of action off the bench. Freshman Jessica Gerald who was recognized this afternoon as Independent Division I Newcomer of the Year notched 13 points.
Freshman Ivana Seric, playing in her 13th game as a Highlander, made four shots from the floor - three coming from behind the arc -- in 17 minutes of action posting 11 points while shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc. 5-foot-4 freshman Adriana Johnson, added 10 points in 17 minutes off the bench for NJIT.
Neither team found a scoring rhythm early and it was 7-7 when McNally hit one of two from the free throw line 5:11 into the game.
Junior Jill Dickinson made her only shot of the game to break the tie 12 seconds later, but Pierce answered with her second of four three pointers taking a one point advantage, 10-9.
The Highlanders found themselves down seven quickly on a three-pointer by Eagles Ashley Haegele with 14:30 left in the first half.
NJIT rallied back into the game as Kehinde Oyelola, hit a three-pointer from the top of the key bringing the Highlanders within one, 18-17. On the next possession down the floor Johnson snuck thru traffic and completed a lay-up giving the Highlanders its first lead of the game, 19-18 at 11:12.
The score became tied twice over the next two minutes until Pierce hit a jumper from the wing breaking the tie, 26-24.
A three-pointer by Seric from the top of the key gave NJIT a four point advantage, 30-26, with 6:39 left in the game.
The Eagles held the Highlanders scoreless in the last 2:46 taking a 39-35 lead to close out the first half.
The top scorers at halftime were NJIT's Seric with 11 and Florida Gulf Coast's Pierce with 11.
The Highlanders fell behind by double-digits and trailed by 10 after De La Torre hit one of two from the free throw line 4:10 into the second half.
NJIT made one last charge and closed the Eagles lead down to 45-40 with a 13:03 left.
The Highlanders kept scoring for the next three minutes, but couldn't get the necessary defensive stops while the Eagles still led by 12 with 5:14 left, before they took their biggest lead of the game up 17 with 1:26 to play.
Free throw shooting made a huge difference in the outcome as Florida Gulf Coast shot 18-26 from the free throw line while the Highlanders only shot 8-11.
