Feb. 28, 2009
Box Score
OREM, Utah - Robyn Fairbanks had a season-high 41 points on 18-for-20 from the field and Sandy Wall chipped in 25 as Utah Valley outscored NJIT 94-86 on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines shot a school record 63.3 percent (38-for-60) from the field and tied a school record with 31 assists.
It's the second career 40-point game for Fairbanks, who recorded her eighth consecutive double-double and 47th of her career with 14 rebounds. She upped her nation-leading average to 26.7 points per game on the second highest scoring night of her career. Fairbanks scored 43 against Montana State during the 2006-07 season.
Wall was 10-for-19 from the field in 38 minutes. Asumi Nakayama had 12 assists and Hollie Beaman dished out six to go along with five points in 30 minutes. Julie McMurray had 13 points, 11 of which came in the second half.
Despite the record night from the field, the Wolverines (14-10) were never able to shake the Highlanders (7-19), who hit 50.8 percent (32-for-63). Kehinde Oyelola led six NJIT players in double figures with 23 on 8-for-12 from the floor including 7-of-9 from the 3-point line, tying a school record for three pointers made in a game. NJIT made 12-of-27 shot from beyond the arc for the game.
Jackie McCaffrey added 17 points while Ivana Seric had 11 points to go along with a game-high five steals for the Highlanders.
UVU took a 13-3 lead after seven minutes as NJIT struggled to find the bucket. From there though the Highlanders hit their next six shots and eight of their next 10 to tie the game at 23.
The game was tied at 28 at the 5:06 mark when Utah Valley went on a 15-2 run to take a 43-30 lead before Maya Al-Shingieti scored for NJIT right before time expired in the first half.
Fairbanks had 21 points and 10 rebounds at the break and Wall had 13 as the Wolverines shot 60 percent (18-for-30) in the half.
In the second half, a 10-2 run got NJIT within two, 59-57, with 14:34 remaining. From there the lead hovered between 3-8 points before the Highlanders were again able to trim the lead to two, 77-75, on a Jill Dickinson three with 6:40 to go.
Two McMurray free throws and a Fairbanks' bucket gave UVU a six-point cushion. The lead was still six, 85-79, when a 5-0 Wolverine spurt pushed the lead to 11, 90-79, with 1:20 left.
Beaman, Fairbanks, Wall, Lauren Smith and Jordyn Bowen, who scored her first three points of the season, were all honored prior to the game on Senior Day. Bowen was appearing in just her second game after missing most of the season with a back injury.
Utah Valley and NJIT will meet again in the opening round of the Division I Independent Championship in Orem on March 5 at 7 p.m. MT.
