Kean Defeats Gwynedd-Mercy to Capture Cougar
Classic
UNION, N.J. -(11/19/06) Kean University exploded for 42 second
half points, including a 22-0 run to start the period, as the
Cougars captured the Kean Cougar Classic Championship by defeating
Gwynedd-Mercy College, 72-42, Sunday afternoon.
Most Valuable Player, Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) finished
with 12 points this afternoon (38 in tournament play). Junior Alana
Rumpel (Binghampton, N.Y.) led the Griffins with 10 points off the
bench.
Both teams see-sawed in the first eight minutes of action, before
Kean (2-0) took control leading by as many as 11 in the next seven
minutes of play. Beyruti and junior Chari' Cooper (Paulsboro, N.J.)
each chipped in with four points in the run. The Griffins (1-1)
then closed the gap as Rumpel landed two quick three-pointers and
All-Tournament team member Ashley Vandiver (Philadelphia, Pa.)
added three free-throws to make the score 30-26. Kristy Cramp
(Pennington, N.J.), also an All-Tournament member, closed out the
half with two points at the charity stripe to pull Gwynedd-Mercy
within two, 30-28.
Freshman Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) had eight first half
points for the Cougars while Vandiver contributed seven points and
seven rebounds for the Griffins.
That would be as close as Gwynedd-Mercy would get as Kean exploded
in the second half, scoring 22 uncontested points in the first
seven minutes of action. Rumpel broke the run with an unassisted
jumper at 13:00. In all, the Cougars outscored the Griffins, 42-14
in the final 20 minutes.
Cooper, also selected to the All-Tournament team, led all players
with 13 points and 16 rebounds for Kean. Kate McGinn (Ambler, Pa.)
had a team-high nine rebounds for Gwynedd-Mercy.
In the consolation game, Albright sophomore guard Annie McMahon
(Havertown, Pa.) scored a game-high 21 points and added six
rebounds, four assists to lead the Lions past Lehman College,
63-46.
The Lions took a 27-15 lead at halftime, as McMahon scored 10
points in the opening half, Lehman sophomore forward Sally Nnamani
(Warwick, N.Y.) had seven points and two rebounds to lead the
Lightning.
Albright led by as many as 19 points before the Lightning cut the
deficit to 11 points on three occasions, the last with 2:29 left in
the game before the Lions closed the game on a 6-0 run to seal the
17-point victory.
In the win, junior forward Jacqueline Hardwick (Dallas, Pa.) added
17 points and four rebounds, while junior forward Jennifer DuPrau
(Cohoes, N.Y.) had nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
For Lehman, Nnamani finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and
three steals,while senior guard Kathy Santiago (New York, N.Y.)
added 14 points, six steals and five rebounds.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Melissa Beyruti (Kean)
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Sally Nnamani (Lehman College)
Jackie Hardwick (Albright College)
Kristy Cramp (Gwynedd-Mercy)
Ashley Vandiver (Gwynedd-Mercy)
Chari' Cooper (Kean)
