Women's Basketball Opens Season with 94-51 Victory

UNION, N.J. (11/15/08) - Junior guard Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Kean University women's basketball team to a 94-51 victory over Delaware Valley College in the season opener at home in THE ROCK Cougar Classic presented by Marriott on Saturday afternoon. 

Junior forward Danielle Brown (North Brunswick, N.J.) (pictured right) added a career-high 18 points for the #3/4 Cougars, as she hit 8-of-9 shots from the floor.  For the Aggies, junior guard Kim Vennera (Norristown, Pa.) scored a team-high 12 points and added four steals.

In the other Cougar Classic match-up, Baldwin-Wallace College defeated Salisbury University, 73-34.  Sunday afternoon's Cougar Classic championship game will feature two of the nation's top ranked teams, as Baldwin-Wallace and Kean are both ranked in a pair of preseason polls.  Kean and Baldwin-Wallace will battle in the championship game at 4 p.m., while Salisbury will face Delaware Valley in the consolation at 11 a.m.

In the first half, the Cougars built a 21-7 lead less than eight minutes into the game, as Brown scored 12 of her points in the run.  Kean closed out the half on an 11-4 run to build their largest lead of the game at 29 points for the 57-28 lead at halftime.

Jackman (pictured left) scored 13 of her points in the opening half, while Brown and senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) each added 12 points.  Sophomore Rochelle Teesdale (Sewell, N.J.) led the Aggies with six points and six rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.

The Cougars continued to extend their lead in the second half, leading by 40 at 71-31 on a lay-up by Jackman early in the half.  Following that, Delaware Valley went on an 18-4 run to pull within 26 points at 75-49 before the Cougars pulled away down the stretch for the 43-point victory.

Beyruti finished with 12 points, including three three-pointers, eight rebounds and five assists, while senior guard Ebony Jackson (Newark, N.J.) chipped in with 16 points and a game-high seven assists. 

Sophomore guard Brittany Battinieri (Eddystone, Pa.) and freshman guard Brittney Zimmerman (Lewistown, Pa.) each added nine points and four rebounds for the Aggies.

For Baldwin-Wallace, sophomore Amanda Schroeder (Columbus Grove, Ohio) scored a team-high 12 points, while junior guard Diandra Bremond (Cleveland, Ohio) and junior forward Serena Farage (Medina, Ohio) each added 10 points. 

Salisbury junior forward Kylie Hall (Baltimore, Md.) led the Sea Gulls with 10 points.