Box Score

JERSEY CITY, NJ – William and Mary's junior forward Tiffany Benson posted her fifth double-double of the season scoring 13 points and 15 rebounds en route to a 58-46 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology at the Saint Peter's Holiday Classic Tuesday afternoon in women's basketball action at the Yanitelli Center.

Benson one of two double figure scorers for William and Mary was supported by guard Taysha Pye who came off the bench to score a game-high 14 points as the Tribe won its second straight game.

William and Mary's rebounding leader was Benson as she put together a game-high 15 rebounds giving the Tribe a slight advantage on the boards, 44-43, over the Highlanders which was led by junior Taiwo Oyelola with nine rebounds.  Benson, standing at 6-foot-2 set a new school-record for William and Mary blocking four shots putting her career total to 159.

NJIT got a team-high 12 points from its senior Jill Dickinson.  Dickinson was one three-pointer shy her career-high (five three-pointers) which she recorded on two different occasions against the same opponent last year (Feb. 7, 2008 at UTPA/Mar. 7, 2008 vs. UTPA).  The dangerous shooting guard finished the day 4-for-6 from behind the arc.

Center Maya Al-Shingieti added seven points for the Highlanders in just six minutes of action (the seven points being a season-high) and freshman guard Ash'Lee Smith and forward Kehinde Oyelola grabbed six rebounds apiece. 

NJIT jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes on a lay-up by T. Oyelola and a three-pointer by Jessica Gerald from the top of the key.

The Tribe fought back knotting the game at 6-6, on a jumper by Pye from the free throw line at the 14:28 mark.  NJIT would score the next two baskets, a jumper from the baseline by sophomore Adriana Johnson and a trey from the left side of the floor from its senior captain Jackie McCaffrey taking a 11-6 lead.

Both teams traded baskets over the next five minutes until the game became tied at 14-14 on two free throws sank by William and Mary's Dani Kell.  The Tribe kept the Highlanders scoreless over the last 7:24. By the end of the half, William and Mary led 25-15.

Benson and Kell had five points each at the break to lead William and Mary, which also got five points off the bench from Janine Aldridge. NJIT's halftime scoring leaders were McCaffrey, Gerald and Dickinson, each with three points.

William and Mary's Kell hit a three-pointer to open the second half, making the score 28-15, as the Tribe never allowed its lead to get under 11.

The Tribe pushed their advantage to a high of 23 in the second half, on a fast break lay-up by Pye for a 54-31 lead with 6:27 remaining.

NJIT's Dickinson was named to the Saint Peter's Holiday Classic all-Tournament team along with Saint Peter's Tania Kennedy, Hofstra's Jess Fuller and Nicole Capruso and William & Mary's Benson.

NJIT will return to action in 2009 when they travel to Farmville, Virginia to take on fellow Division I Independent Longwood on Sunday, January 4.  Tip-off is scheduled for 2pm.

Longwood leads the all-time series 2-1.