Women's Hoops Defeat
Rutgers-Newark, 69-32
UNION, N.J. (1/23/10) - The Kean University
women's basketball team held visiting Rutgers-Newark to just 11
second-half points en-route to posting their 19th
straight victory with a 69-32 win over the Scarlet Raiders on
Saturday afternoon in New Jersey Athletic Conference action.
Senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.)
led all scorers with 16 points, including four three-pointers, to
lead the #3/4 Cougars (19-1, 8-0 NJAC). Senior forward
Courtney Vacca (Wayne, N.J.) finished with a double-double
(10 points, 12 rebounds) to lead Rutgers-Newark (7-11, 2-5 NJAC).
The Cougars scored the first nine points of the game and led
20-11 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the opening half,
before junior guard Martyna Ruminska (Kearny, N.J.) capped
a 9-1 Scarlet Raider run with a three-pointer, pulling
Rutgers-Newark to within 22-20 with 8:37 to go in the half.
The Cougars closed the half on an 11-1 run, including the final
seven points of the stanza, to take a 33-21 lead at the break.
Beyruti (pictured right) scored 14 of her points in the opening
half, while senior guard Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna,
Pa.) chipped in with eight points for the Cougars.
Vacca had nine points and seven rebounds in the first half for the
Scarlet Raiders.
In the second half, the Cougars extended the run to 13
unanswered points with the first six point of the half, taking a
39-21 lead on a lay-up by sophomore Brittany Powell (Tinton
Falls, N.J.). Kean would lead by as many as 40
points at 69-29 with 1:32 remaining, before Ruminska closed out the
scoring with a three-pointer in the final 10 seconds for the
37-point Kean victory.
The Cougars held Rutgers-Newark to just 13.0 percent shooting
(3-of-23) in the second half, while forcing 30 turnovers in the
game.
Rookie guard Naimah Clemons (Newark, N.J.)
(pictured left) had 13 points and four steals for Kean, while
Jackman added 12 points and six rebounds in the win.
For Rutgers-Newark, Ruminska finished with 11 points and
sophomore guard Jared Tactuk (Wayne, N.J.) added eight
points.
Kean has a week off before returning to action next Saturday,
January 30, when the Cougars host New Jersey City University in a
NJAC contest at 1 p.m.
