#3 Kean Pulls Away from New Paltz, 78-55 

UNION, N.J. (11/19/08) - Senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union, N.J.) scored 24 points and added six steals to lead the Kean University women's basketball team to a 78-55 victory over SUNY New Paltz in non-conference action on Wednesday evening. 

Junior forward Danielle Brown (North Brunswick, N.J.) and sophomore forward Angelica Bermudez (Belleville, N.J.) each had a double-double for the #3/4 Cougars (3-0).

In the season opener for New Paltz (0-1), juniors Abbey DeRossi (Albany, N.Y.) and Kristin Sitek (Ellington, Conn.) each scored 10 points.

The Cougars closed out the first half on a 13-3 run to build a 35-22 lead at halftime behind 13 points from Beyruti (pictured right) and 10 points from junior guard Alysha Taylor (Galloway, N.J.), as the two combined to go 15-of-18 from the foul line.  Sitek came off the bench to score eight of her points on 3-of-4 shooting.

In the second half, Kean had a 22-2 run in a 7:24 span midway through the half to extend the lead to 63-33 with just under 10 minutes remaining.  The Cougars extended the lead to as many as 35 points on a pair of occasions in cruising to the 23-point victory.

Beyruti, the nation's leader in three-pointers per game the last two seasons, connected on 14-of-15 from the foul line, but was held without a three-pointer for the first time in 44 games, as she finished 0-of-9 from behind the arc.

For the Cougars, Brown and Bermudez both finished with career-highs with 14 and 12 rebounds, respectively, as Brown had her first career double-double adding 11 points.  Bermudez came off the bench and added 10 points and three blocks, while Taylor (pictured left) contributed 12 points and six rebounds in the victory.

DeRossi and Sitek each finished with five rebounds for the Hawks.  Junior forward Carly Minehan (Albany, N.Y.) added nine points, five rebounds and three blocks in a game in which the two teams combined for 56 fouls and 72 free throw attempts.

Kean returns to action on Tuesday, November 25, when they host John Jay College as part of a non-conference doubleheader.  Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.