The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team held off the New Jersey Institute of Technology, 78-69, Tuesday, Dec. 12 at the Rothman Center in Hackensack, NJ. Senior guard Gayle Coats (Richmond, VA/Gertrude) (Richmond, VA/St. Gertrude) sealed the victory, notching six of the Knights' (3-5, 0-1 NEC) final 10 points, en route to her first-ever double-double ? career-highs of 12 points and 10 assists.
Freshman forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) collecting a game-high 19 points, in addition to grabbing nine rebounds, while junior forward Jennifer Walkling (Westminster, MD/Westminster) (Westminster, MD/Westminster) added 16 points.
NJIT (2-8) opened the night on a 5-0 run, before Altamirano hit the offensive glass and converted a lay-in. Highlander guard Jill Dickinson (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) connected on her second three-pointer, countered by another offensive board and a quick deuce by Altamirano, making the score, 8-7, with 14:54 remaining.
Junior forward Nikki Lockhart (Rochester, NY/Nazareth Academy) (Rochester, NY/Nazareth Academy) capitalized off an in-bounds play at the 10:22 mark with a bucket off glass, creating a 15-11 deficit. Coats lobbed a pass to Walkling who knocked down her fourth of five field goals in the first-half. Sophomore guard Katie Morra (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) nailed a jumper slightly inside the arc and the Knights trailed, 21-17, with 6:52 remaining.
Junior guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) made good on an old-fashioned three-point play at the 5:12 mark ? marking the ninth point of an 11-0 surge ? giving FDU its first lead of the night. On the ensuing possession, Altamirano drained a trey, en route to pouring in ten-straight points for the Knights.
Fairleigh Dickinson entered halftime with a 36-30 advantage, led by Altamirano's 16 points and six boards. NJIT out-rebounded the Knights, 21-13, with Dickinson tallying ten points.
Walkling scored six of FDU's first 10 points to open the second-half, opening up a 46-34 lead at the 16:09 mark. Senior forward Mercedez Walker (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) popped her first trifecta of the season and Coats followed suit from long-range with 12:15 left, increasing the Knights' lead to 55-41.
Less than five minutes later, Walker (nine, second-half points) took a feed from junior guard Megan Kirkland (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) and dropped in a lay-up, creating a 67-50 cushion.
NJIT guard Lesley Hendricks (Cranford, NJ/Union Catholic) sparked a 15-3 rally over 6:49, finishing with a team-high 13 points. Dickinson finished with 12 points.
“It's a win, but it wasn't pretty,” Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. “I'm happy we came out on the right side of the scoreboard, especially with kids having finals. We were mentally all-over the place.”
The Knights host St. Bonaventure at 7:00 p.m., Monday, Dec. 18 at the Rothman Center.
