Preview: NJIT Highlanders at Merrimack Warriors

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (Interstat) — Two teams on the NCAA tournament bubble will meet Thursday when the Merrimack Warriors host the NJIT Highlanders in a critical late-season women’s basketball matchup.

The game, scheduled for March 19, 2026, features teams with nearly identical records. Merrimack enters at 19-12, while NJIT arrives with an 18-12 mark. Both squads are looking to bolster their postseason resumes with a quality win.

NJIT is coming off a heartbreaking 66-65 loss at Maryland-Baltimore County on March 5, a game in which they led late. The Highlanders have shown resilience, however, winning four of their last six contests. Their offense is powered by guard Olivia Kulyk, who is coming off a 40-minute, 14-point performance against UMBC. Kulyk has been a consistent scorer, erupting for 21 points in a 75-42 rout of Bryant on Feb. 28.

Merrimack seeks to rebound from a 65-48 road loss at Fairfield on March 8. Prior to that, the Warriors had won three straight, including a 62-48 victory over Mount Saint Mary’s. Their engine is guard Se’Lah Reddick, who led the team with 17 points and 4 assists in the loss to Fairfield. Reddick’s playmaking has been key, as she dished out 7 assists in a win over Niagara on Feb. 28.

The matchup in the backcourt between Kulyk and Reddick will be pivotal. NJIT will rely on additional scoring from Allison Cannon and Alejandra Zuniga, who each added 16 points in the narrow loss to UMBC. Merrimack’s supporting cast includes Daria Shishkina and Paloma Garcia, who combined for 17 points against Fairfield.

Both teams have demonstrated defensive capability, with each holding opponents under 45 points in multiple recent wins. The Warriors will have the home-court advantage as they look to sweep the regular-season series, having defeated the Highlanders earlier in the year.

Tip-off is set for Thursday night at Hammel Court. The game could have significant implications for seeding in conference and national postseason tournaments.