ALBANY, N.Y. (Interstat) — The NJIT Highlanders visit the Albany Great Danes on Thursday night in a key America East women’s basketball matchup with both teams seeking momentum for the conference tournament. The game, set for SEFCU Arena, is a rematch of Albany’s 71-54 road victory on Jan. 29. NJIT (16-10, 9-4 America East) currently holds a stronger conference standing than Albany (13-12, 6-7), but the Great Danes will look to complete the regular-season sweep. NJIT enters on a two-game winning streak, including a dominant 63-42 victory over Maine on Saturday. Forward Ava Locklear is a focal point after posting 17 points and 12 rebounds in that win. Over her last five games, Locklear has averaged 11.6 points and 8.0 rebounds. She scored 17 points in the first meeting with Albany. The Highlanders’ recent success has been bolstered by Olivia Kulyk, who had 19 points and nine rebounds against Maine, and Allison Cannon, who added eight points and five assists. Albany snapped a three-game skid with a 52-41 defensive win over Binghamton on Saturday. Guard Julia Palomo led the way with 13 points. In the Jan. 29 win over NJIT, Palomo scored 14 points. She has averaged 9.3 points over her last three contests. The Great Danes have relied on a balanced attack, with Delanie Hill adding 11 points in the Binghamton win and Lara Langermann contributing eight points and three assists. NJIT’s offense, averaging 64.2 points per game, will test an Albany defense that allows just 58.7 points per contest, the best in the conference. The Highlanders have struggled on the road in conference play at times, including a recent loss at Binghamton. With the America East tournament approaching, the game carries significant weight for seeding. A win would solidify NJIT’s position near the top of the standings, while Albany aims to climb back to .500 in league play. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.