Beyruti, Patrick Paces Kean Past
Mary Washington, 78-63
UNION, N.J. (12/17/09) - Senior Melissa
Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) and junior Tiffany
Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) combined to score 40 points, as
#7 Kean University defeated University of Mary Washington, 78-63,
in non-conference women's basketball action on Thursday evening.
Beyruti, who saw her season end a year ago at Mary Washington with
an injury, finished with a game-high 21 points on five
three-pointers, while Patrick (pictured right) had a double-double
with 19 points and 15 rebounds, while adding four steals, three
assists and three blocks for the Cougars (8-1).
Sophomore guard Katie Wimmer (Vienna, Va.) finished
with a team-high 15 points, hitting all 10 of her free throws, for
the Eagles (5-2).
The Cougars used a 11-0 run early in the first half to erase a
10-8 deficit and take a 19-10 lead after three straight
three-pointers by Beyruti, rookie Nicol Biesek (South
Pasadena, Calif.) and sophomore Brittany Powell
(Tinton Falls, N.J.).
Freshman guard Kate Vennergrund (Centreville, Va.)
scored the next five points of the game for the Eagles to pull back
within four points midway through the first half, before Kean built
a double-digit lead at 35-25 with 2:35 remaining and would lead by
eight (35-27) at the break.
For the Cougars, freshman Naimah Clemons (Newark,
N.J.) scored seven first-half points, while Patrick and
Biesek each added six points in the opening half. Wimmer and
sophomore Jenna McRae (Springfield, Va.) each had seven points in
the first half.
In the second half, the Cougars scored the first seven points of
the half on back-to-back baskets by senior Cardiss Jackman
(Tobyhanna, Pa.) and a three-pointer by Beyruti to extend
the lead back to double-digits at 42-27 just 80 seconds into the
half.
A 10-1 run gave the Cougars their largest lead of the game at
64-35 and the Eagles could pull no closer than 13 points (76-63)
down the stretch, as the Cougars won their eighth straight
game.
Clemons (pictured left) finished with nine points and three
assists, while Jackman had nine points and Biesek finished with
eight.
For the Eagles, McRae netted 14 points and had seven rebounds
and three steals.
Kean returns to action on Monday, December 21, when the Cougars
host College of Saint Elizabeth in a non-conference game at 4 p.m.
