Photo Courtesy of NJIT Marissa Gingrich has helped the NJIT Highlanders into the Women’s NIT field.

BY GREG WILLIAMS

Sentinel reporter

gwilliams@lewistownsentinel.com

NEWARK, N.J. — March Madness is underway, arenas are filling with buzzer-beaters and brackets, and postseason dreams are tightening by the possession. While the NCAA Tournament captures the national spotlight, one Mifflin County product is still playing meaningful March basketball — extending her season on a different, but no less competitive, stage.

Marissa Gingrich, a Mifflin County High School graduate and junior guard at New Jersey Institute of Technology, is set to continue her postseason run as the Highlanders open play in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. NJIT will travel to Merrimack for a first-round matchup Thursday night in North Andover, Mass., with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

The WNIT appearance caps what has been a banner season for the NJIT women’s basketball program, which posted its best Division I record to date at 18-12 overall and 9-7 in America East Conference play. The nine conference victories represent the most in the program’s Division I era and helped the Highlanders secure the No. 5 seed in the America East Conference tournament.

For Gingrich, the postseason opportunity is another chapter in a steady collegiate climb that mirrors the consistency she showed during a record-setting high school career.

Standing 5-7, Gingrich has carved out a versatile role for NJIT under head coach Mike Lane, who praised her all-around skill set and understanding of the game.

“Marissa is a true combo guard,” Lane said. “Her court vision is excellent, I love her passing, especially in transition. Her shooting stroke is pure. She is a threat on the ball or off. A great guard for our style of play — sees the floor, knows the game, and is always on the hunt for her own offense.”

During the 2024-25 season, as a sophomore, Gingrich appeared in 27 games and made 19 starts, averaging 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures five times, highlighted by a career-best 14-point effort at Long Island University on Dec. 30. Her stat line has also reflected her defensive instincts, including a seven-rebound, four-steal performance at UMass-Lowell on Jan. 30.

That campaign followed a developmental first season at NJIT in 2023-24, when Gingrich appeared in 27 games with three starts. She scored her first collegiate points with six against Wagner on Nov. 18, made her first college start at New Hampshire on Feb. 22, and recorded a personal-best 13 points at Binghamton on Feb. 17.

NJIT’s America East run ended in heartbreaking fashion this winter, with the Highlanders falling 66-65 to fourth-seeded UMBC in the quarterfinals. The deciding basket came on a game-winning layup with one second remaining, a loss that could have closed the season. Instead, NJIT’s overall résumé earned the team another chance to play — and for Gingrich, another opportunity to compete deep into March.

That persistence has been a hallmark of Gingrich’s basketball career.

Before heading to the collegiate level, Gingrich concluded her high school career at Mifflin County as the program’s all-time leader in points (1,573), assists (502), steals (308) and three-point field goals made (251). Her 524 career rebounds ranked second in school history despite her size.

As a senior, Gingrich averaged 22.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.4 steals per game, connecting on 86 three-pointers for the Huskies. Her list of accolades includes two Mid-Penn Keystone Division Player of the Year awards, Class 6A all-state honors in back-to-back seasons, and three Mifflin County Most Valuable Player selections. She also helped guide the Huskies to their first PIAA District VI championship during the 2021-22 season and competed on the AAU circuit with the Philadelphia Belles.

Now, with her junior season stretching into postseason play, Gingrich remains part of a historic chapter for NJIT basketball. The Highlanders will face a Merrimack squad that finished 19-12 overall and 15-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference before falling to Fairfield in the conference semifinals.

While the national conversation revolves around brackets and championship contenders, Gingrich continues to do what she has done throughout her career — contribute, compete and extend the season. For local fans back home, her continued presence on the March hardwood is a reminder that postseason basketball comes in many forms, and that one Mifflin County product is still dancing.