#2 Kean Closes Out Perfect NJAC
Regular Season
UNION, N.J. (2/15/10) - The Kean University
women's basketball team won its 24th straight game and
finished the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season with a
perfect 13-0 record with a 76-55 win over visiting Rowan University
on Monday evening.
Junior forward Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway,
N.J.) had a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds
to lead the Cougars (24-1, 13-0 NJAC), who haven't lost since the
season opener at Division I Rutgers University. Rowan (15-8,
8-4) was led by senior forward Amanda Jennings (Turnersville,
N.J.), who finished with 19 points and six rebounds.
Rowan took an early 10-4 lead in the opening minutes, as Jennings
netted eight of those points on 4-of-6 shooting. The Cougars
tied the game at 11 on a three-pointer by rookie Naimah
Clemons (Newark, N.J.) and six straight points would
give the Cougars a 17-13 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining
in the first half.
A pair of free throws by Rowan senior guard Danielle Rohe
(Dumont, N.J.) capped an 8-2 run for the Profs, however the
21-19 edge would be the final lead of the game for Rowan, as the
Cougars responded with a 14-2 spurt to build their largest lead of
the half at 32-23 with 2:39 left in the first half.
Patrick (pictured right) and Clemons scored with and seven
points, respectively, in the opening half, as the Cougars took a
34-29 lead at the break. Jennings hit 8-of-14 shots from the
floor to lead Rowan with 16 first-half points.
The Cougars opened the second half with 13 straight points, with
Patrick (nine points) and Clemons (four points) accounting for all
the offense in building the 47-29 lead just 3:34 into the
half. The lead would extend to as many as 24 points (74-51)
on a lay-up by Patrick with just over four minutes remaining
en-route to the Cougars posting the perfect conference record.
Clemons knocked down 7-of-11 shots to finish with 16 points,
four steals and three assists for the Cougars. Senior forward
Danielle Brown (North Brunswick, N.J.) (pictured
left) nearly had a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds,
while blocking four shots. Senior guard Melissa
Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) had just one three-pointer,
giving her 391 in her career and moving her into a tie for second
place in NCAA history and just two away from becoming the all-time
leader among NCAA Division I, II and III.
For Rowan, sophomore Lauren Creel (Pennsauken, N.J.)
finished with 11 points off the bench.
The Cougars, who have already clinched home court advantage
throughout the NJAC playoffs, have a first-round bye and will host
a semifinal game on Tuesday, February 23, at 7 p.m. The
Cougars will face the winner of Montclair State University and the
NJAC South Division third seed, which will be either The College of
New Jersey or Richard Stockton College.
