BOCA RATON, Fla. – The North Dakota State women's basketball team (3-2) captured the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament Championship with a 60-48 victory over the NJIT Highlanders (3-4) inside FAU Arena on Saturday night, Nov. 29.  

With the win, the Bison improve to 3-2 overall, while NJIT falls to 3-4.

Senior Brooke LeMar paced the Bison with a game-high 21 points on 6-for-16 shooting, with 19 of her 21 points coming in the second-half, and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Junior Holly Johnson tallied a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Marena Whittle snagged a game-high 11 rebounds.

LeMar and Whittle were selected to the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament All-Tournament team for their performances in the two-day event.   

The Bison shot 38 percent from the field, going 23-for-61, and were 5-for-20 from three-point range for 25 percent. NDSU made nine of 12 free-throw attempts for 75 percent. The Bison posted a 45-38 rebound advantage over NJIT and pulled down 11 offensive boards compared to nine for the Highlanders. North Dakota State controlled the paint, outscoring NJIT inside, 30-14.

The Bison took control of the game with a 13-2 run from 11:25 to 8:48 remaining in the second half. Johnson started the run with a layup at 10:42, breaking a 32-all tie and putting the Bison up 34-32, and LeMar made four consecutive free-throws and scored a layup to build the North Dakota State lead to 40-34 with 9:42 on the clock. LeMar continued to fuel the Bison offensive run with another pair of made free-throws, before Johnson drilled a three to extend the NDSU advantage to 45-34 with 8:48 remaining in the stanza.

NJIT pulled back within three, 49-46, after an 8-0 run from 5:56 to 4:20 in the second half, but the Bison used a 5-0 run to push their lead to eight, 54-46, and seal the victory.  
The Highlanders were led by sophomore Alana Dudley with 16 points on 50 percent shooting (7-for-14), while sophomore Leah Horton pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.

NJIT went 18-for-57 from the field for 32 percent, and 2-for-11 from beyond the arc for 18 percent. The Highlanders were 10-for-17 at the foul line for 59 percent.

The Bison conclude their three-game road swing with a non-conference game at SEC foe Mississippi State on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Tip-off from Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss., is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will air live on SEC Network Plus.