Cooper Grabs 27 Rebounds as Kean Defeats Scranton, 82-65

SCRANTON, Pa. (12/19/07) - Junior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) scored 17 points and senior center Chari' Cooper (Paulsboro, N.J.) grabbed a season-high 27 rebounds to lead the 12^th ranked Kean University women's basketball team past perennial national contender University of Scranton, 82-65, on Wednesday evening at the Long Center. 

The Cougar victory hands Scranton its second straight loss, as the Lady Royals suffer back-to-back home losses for the first time since 1995. 

Kean (7-1) held a 54-26 edge on the glass, as Cooper (pictured right)out-rebounded the entire Scranton team, finishing three boards shy of her school-record 30 rebounds. 

For Scranton (5-4), senior forward Kathleen Daly (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) scored 13 of her career-high 22 points in the first half, as Kean held a slight 36-33 lead at intermission.  Cooper had 10 points and 19 rebounds in the opening half, including 10 offensive boards, as Kean used 15 second-chance points to offset shooting only 38.5 percent from the floor and turning the ball over 17 times.

In the second half, Kean held just a two-point lead with 10:27 remaining, leading 50-48, before using a 24-11 run to extend their lead to 15 points at 74-59 with more than two minutes remaining en-route to the 17-point victory. 

The Cougars hit half of their shots in the second half and knocked down 19-of-23 from the charity stripe for the game, as they defeated Scranton for the first time in the last four meetings. 

Beyruti had four three pointers, while junior guard Ebony Jackson (Newark, N.J.) had 16 points and four assists.   Cooper and freshman forward Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) (pictured left) scored 11 points apiece, while freshman Angelica Bermudez (Belleville, N.J.) added 10 points and five rebounds off the bench. 

Senior guard Julie Brophy (Exton, Pa.) hit 4 of 6 shots from the field to finish with 13 points and freshman guard Megan Kopecki (Millington, N.J.) had 10 points, five assists and four steals for Scranton.

The Cougars have 10 days off for the holidays before heading to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands for the Sunsational Basketball Tournament.  Kean faces Alvernia College in the opening round on Saturday, December 29, at 8 p.m.