SCORE: UAlbany 38, NJIT 36
 
LOCATION: Bloom Wellness & Events Center - Newark, N.J.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 21-3, 10-1 America East | NJIT 9-15, 1-10 America East
 
SHORT STORY: In a close defensive contest, the result was determined in the final minute of competition as the Great Danes defeated NJIT, Thursday night.
 
KEY STATS

• Senior Kayla Cooper led the Great Danes with 19 points, 17 of which were scored in the second half, 11 rebounds, and three steals.
• Graduate student Sarah Karpell followed with eight points and a team-high three assists.
• Freshman Deja Evans led the team with four blocks.
• As a team, the Great Danes out-stole the Highlanders, 11-6.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• In a low-scoring first quarter, both teams totaled just five baskets.
• UAlbany tallied the first with a layup from Kayla Cooper at 7:24 and did not give up the lead through the first 10 minutes of play.
• After a three-pointer from Helene Haegerstrand and a layup from Sarah Karpell, the Great Danes led, 7-2, with just over two and a half minutes to play.
• A late-quarter field goal from NJIT made it a 7-4 game ahead of the second quarter.
• The Highlanders worked for the advantage with an 11-3 scoring run through nearly eight minutes of action.
• UAlbany made it a one-point game at halftime with two consecutive baskets in the final minute of the first half.
• Throughout the start of the third quarter, the Great Danes gradually made their way to a five-point lead, 26-21.
• The Highlanders followed with a defense that did not allow a UAlbany basket as they regained a one-point lead, 27-26, with one quarter remaining.
• Going back and forth, UAlbany tied the score at 31 after layups from Cooper and Deja Evans. 
• Seeing six lead changes in the remaining five and a half minutes, the game proved to come down to the last second.
• With under two seconds to go, the Highlanders earned two free throw attempts with UAlbany leading 38-36.
• As NJIT missed the free throws, Kayla Cooper grabbed the final rebound to guarantee the Great Dane victory, 38-36.

 
NEXT: The Great Danes will return home to host UMBC for their Pink Game on Saturday (Feb. 17).
 
For more information on the University at Albany women's basketball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanywbb
Instagram & Threads - @ualbanywbb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyWBB