The NJIT Highlanders Women’s Basketball Team are off to a 2-0 start in the 2026-27 season after a commanding 57-35 victory over the Merrimack College Warriors(0-2) in the America East-Metro Challenge at the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center in Newark, New Jersey.

 Marissa Gingrich led NJIT in scoring for a second straight game with 15 points, while Ava Locklear and Kate Donovan each recorded double-doubles: Locklear scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, and Donovan netted 12 points and grabbed 10 boards. Overall, nine players registered a point on the scoresheet.

 Highlanders Head Coach Mike Lane on the win: “That was a great effort, and the defense was spectacular from the tip to the final buzzer. Our offense is still finding its way and we’ll get there, but I love how we’re defending the ball right now and getting energy from it; the girls have really bought in.”

 NJIT came out strong in the first quarter, racing to a 19-7 lead by the end of the period. Ava Locklear and Kate Donovan supplied most of the offense, each scoring six points.

 The Highlanders shot 47 percent from the field while controlling the paint at 16-4, grabbing 13 rebounds to 7, and the bench adding eight points. NJIT’s aggressive defense held Merrimack to 21 percent shooting.

 “I think both teams were gassed after that first timeout, and we talked about testing their conditioning and resolve,” Mike Lane explained. “They got tired, and then our depth—bringing in Kate Donovan and finding some offense—was great, and Mackenzie Wright-Rawls off the bench was really good for us.”

 In the second quarter, the Warriors answered with a 7-0 run to trim the deficit to 19-14 at the seven-minute mark. Piper Engleby then buried a trifecta to stem the tide. The Highlanders kept finding success driving into the paint and capitalizing on opportunities, pushing the advantage into double digits. By halftime, NJIT led 31-20.

 “The second quarter was a little choppy. We had the lead and didn’t really build on it, and they cut it to five,” Mike Lane described. “Their zone gave them some energy, and I didn’t like how we attacked it. We talked about that at halftime.”

 “That was a huge shot by Piper Engelby, and that’s what she has to be for us when we’re struggling. I think it was the only three we hit in the whole half, and it came at the right time. Everything was not going our way, so it helped us collect ourselves. I thought the last bucket by Melissa Gingrich, after that crazy foul situation with four free throws, gave us something to feel good about.”

 The third quarter began with the Highlanders widening their advantage to 20-plus points on an 11-2 run. NJIT got out on the fast break, crashed the offensive glass consistently, drove to the rim for layups, and stifled the defense, forcing Merrimack into numerous turnovers. By the end of the quarter, the Highlanders led comfortably 47-25.

 Scoring slowed considerably in the fourth quarter as both teams combined for 20 points, but NJIT still cruised to the win.

 “Our defense was just so good from end line to end line, and our press and pressure were there. Deflections, switches, guarding the back door and their splits—everything was a really great effort. Sometimes only coaches like watching defense, and I’m really enjoying it. They had that mentality tonight and continue to build on it,” Mike Lane noted.

 The Highlanders hit the road for the next three games, facing Marist, Lafayette and Dartmouth before returning home on November 18th to host Delaware with tip-off at 6 p.m.

 “We’ve got to take it one game at a time. Marist finishes off the Metro Challenge, then we get into a regular Wednesday-Saturday week with long trips to Dartmouth and Lafayette. Hopefully we handle those, then we get a day off on Sunday, November 15th,” he said. “Itfeels pretty far away, but we’re working hard, and it’s been fun.”