Box Score Newark, N.J. – UMBC women's basketball used a dominant second quarter and a complete team effort to knock off host NJIT, 72-61, at the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.  

The Retrievers improved to 3-2 in America East road contests this season. They are now 7-12 overall, 3-4 in America East as they put to rest a four-game slide.

Making her first collegiate start, freshman wing Anne Adewumi amassed career bests with 14 points and six rebounds. Graduate student forward Anna Blount led
UMBC with 17 points, while classmate forward Jaden Walker added 12 points and a team-best seven caroms.

Walker led the way for UMBC's bench, which outscored NJIT's, 31-8.

UMBC outscored NJIT, 22-11, in the second quarter to lead, 37-23, at halftime and the Highlanders only closed to single digits once in the second half.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• NJIT led, 12-10, late in the first quarter, but a field goal and a trey by senior Paloma Iradier gave the visitors a 15-12 lead after 10 minutes.
• UMBC completed a scoring run of 14-2 after Adewumi converted a traditional 3-point play and gave the Retrievers a 24-14 lead at the 6:02 mark of the second quarter.
• NJIT cut the deficit to 28-21, but UMBC responded by scoring nine of the half's final 11 points. The Retrievers outrebounded the Highlanders, 13-2, off the offensive glass in the first 20 minutes.
• The lead grew to as many as 17 points in the latter stages of the third quarter and UMBC settled for a 55-39 lead after 30 minutes.
• The Highlanders would make a late run, cutting the gap to 63-55 with 3:03 remaining. But on the Retrievers' next possession, they got three chances and Walker's put-back with 2:33 remaining restored the lead to double figures. After a UMBC defensive stop, grad student Jordon Lewis mid-range jumper pushed the score to 67-55 and put the game out of reach.

The 72 points scored by UMBC is the team's high in an America East game this season.

Blount hit 8-of-10 shots from the free throw line, while Adewumi converted 6-of-11 from the field. Lewis added 9 points, while graduate student guard Trinity Palacio added 8 points and 3 assists.

NJIT was led by Alejandra Zuniga's game-high 18 points, but the Highlanders dropped to 8-12 overall and 0-7 in America East Conference play.

UMBC returns home and will welcome Bryant on Thursday, Feb. 1. Tip-off time is set for 6:00 p.m.