A double-digit lead in the second half was nearly gone. Utah Valley State was in danger of blowing a lead and losing for the first time this year in the McKay Events Center on Thursday night.

Robyn Fairbanks scored nine points in a four-minute stretch late in the second half to help UVSC pull away from NJIT for a 78-69 win.

After NJIT had trimmed the lead to 62-59 with 6:30 left in the game, UVSC coach Cathy Nixon called a timeout and had this advice for Fairbanks.

"I told her, 'we're not getting the ball to you to pass it.' I don't know why she forgot that," Nixon said. "She really showed some good explosiveness to the basket coming out of that timeout. Once again she put us on her shoulders offensively and really came through for us."

The Wolverines had a double-digit lead for most of the game, but they seemed content with their lead and let the Highlanders hang around.

Despite being down by 11 points with 9:40 to play, NJIT wouldn't go away. Kehinde Oyelola didn't attempt a shot in the first half, but she got hot in the second half to make the Wolverines sweat.

She scored 14 points, including three 3-pointers to get the Highlanders going.

After Jessica Gerald hit a 3-pointer to put a scare into UVSC at 62-59, the Wolverines went immediately inside to Fairbanks for a layup. Julie McMurray scored off an offensive rebound and Asumi Nakayama buried a 3-pointer. The Wolverines went back inside to Fairbanks, who scored to give UVSC a 71-61 lead with four minutes left in the game.

The Wolverines added to their lead with a Fairbanks free throw, a Nakayama jumper and another inside bucket from Fairbanks to break the game open and help UVSC snap a four-game losing streak and improve to 14-7 on the year while NJIT dropped to 6-14.

"I thought we rushed things early in the second half, that's something we're working on. We have things we have to do better," Nixon said. "I wouldn't say I was nervous, but I like bigger leads than three points. I did feel confident that we were going to be able to pull it out. Being able to inside like we did when it got close kind of instilled some confidence in me just because I have no reservations that Robyn's going to be able to score when she needs to."

The win helped erase the memory of what had to be UVSC's most disappointing loss of the season, a 66-64 loss to Chicago State where they blew a 20-point second half lead.

Fairbanks finished with a double-double, 20 points and 10 rebounds. McMurray also scored 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Sandy Marvin, who left the game with an ankle injury, scored 16 points.

UVSC will be back home on Saturday afternoon for a 3 p.m. tipoff against Texas-Pan American where the Wolverines will be trying to set a new school attendance record.