Senior center Lulu Brase scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Colgate to a 72-36 non-conference win over NJIT Thursday night at Cotterell Court.(Photo by Bob Cornell)
By John Painter
(Hamilton, NY – Jan. 3, 2013) Lulu Brase scored a career-high 15 points and Colgate doubled up NJIT 72-36 here Thursday for its sixth victory of the season.
The Raiders (6-7) have won two in a row and four of their last six with one game remaining before the start of Patriot League play. Colgate went 8-22 last year in the debut season for head coach Nicci Hays Fort.
Brase topped her career high of nine points set just two games ago at Iona, and she nearly posted her first career double-double by finishing with nine rebounds. The senior was 6-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-4 at the line.
Jhazmine Lynch added 11 points and Mariah Jones, this week’s Patriot League Player of the Week, chipped in 10 for the winners. No NJIT player reached double figures and the Highlanders were paced by nine points from Melanie Griffin.
Colgate held NJIT to just 14 points in the second half and finished the game having committed only 10 turnovers for the second outing in a row. The Raiders shot 41.8 percent from the floor to NJIT’s 27.1 percent, and Colgate converted nine of its 11 free-throw attempts.
Colgate travels to Charlotte on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tip.
Colgate 72, NJIT 36
NJIT (7-9): Sarah Olson 5, Rayven Johnson 4, Melanie Griffin 9, Kimberly Dweck 2, Uju Nwankwo 4, Kim Tullis 2, Alyssa Albanese 6, Nicole Maticka 2, Nyasia Davis 2. Totals: 13-8-36.
Colgate (6-7): Lauryn Kobiela 3, Mariah Jones 10, Lulu Brase 15, Kelly Reid 6, Missy Repoli 3, Jhazmine Lynch 11, Catherine Lewis 8, Kathryn Taylor 2, Paige Kriftcher 2, Josie Stockill 4, Carole Harris 8. Totals: 28-9-72.
3-Point Field Goals: NJIT 2 (Olson, Griffin); Colgate 7 (Jones 2, Lynch 2, Lewis 2, Kobiela).
Halftime: Colgate 41-22.