Beyruti Breaks NCAA Mark; Kean
Advances to NJAC Title Game
UNION, N.J. (2/23/10) - Senior guard
Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) knocked down
six three-pointers to become the most prolific three-point shooter
in NCAA history and the Kean University women's basketball team
advanced to the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship game
with a 92-68 win over Montclair State University on Tuesday
evening.
Rookie Naimah Clemons (Newark, N.J.) scored a
game and career-high 25 points to lead #2 Kean (25-1) to its
25th straight win, tying the school mark for most
consecutive wins and advancing the 
Cougars to their fourth straight NJAC Championship game.
Kean, who won back-to-back titles in 2006-07 and 2007-08, will host
William Paterson University for the NJAC title on Friday, February
26, at 7 p.m. As the top-seed in the NJAC North Division, the
Pioneers defeated Rowan University, 75-60, in the other semifinal.
For Montclair State (16-10), junior forward Kisandra
Ayanbeku (Brockton, Mass.) had 17 points and 18 rebounds, as
the Red Hawks fall to the Cougars in the NJAC semifinals for the
second straight season.
Entering the game just one three-pointer behind Laurie Koehn of
Kansas State, Beyruti (pictured right) knocked down her second
three-pointer of the night just 3:07 into the contest, giving her
393 to become the all-time leader among all of NCAA Division I, II
and III. She finished the game with 22 points and she now has
397 career three-pointers.
Clemons took the opening tip in for a lay-up just three-seconds
into the game and the Cougars would not look back, as Beyruti's
record-breaking three with just under 17 minutes remaining in the
opening half built a 10-point lead at 15-5. The Cougars would
extend the lead to as many as 20 points on a pair of occasions in
the first half, before settling for a 50-34 lead at the break.
Clemons (pictured left), Beyruti and senior guard
Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) accounted for all
but four of Kean's first-half points, as Clemons led the way with
16 points and Beyruti and Jackman each added 15 points. The
three-some hit 19-of-26 shots from the floor and 8-of-14 from
downtown, including Beyruti's 5-of-7 performance from long-range in
the opening half.
The Cougars scored 30 points off of turnovers in the first half,
making 10 steals on 20 Red Hawk miscues.
In the second half, Montclair State trimmed the lead to 11
points at 56-45 on a three-pointer by Ayanbeku less than three
minutes into the half, before the Cougars scored six straight
points to push the advantage back to 17 points with 14:26 left in
the game.
The Red Hawks would again cut the deficit to 11 points, pulling
within 64-53 with 11:44 to go, however an 8-0 Kean run pushed the
lead out to 22 points at 81-59 with less than six minutes to go and
the Cougars would take their largest lead at the in the final
minute with the 24-point victory.
Clemons finished with eight steals, seven rebounds and four
assists, while Jackman (pictured right) chipped in with 19 points
on 9-of-12 shooting. Junior Angelica Bermudez (Jersey
City, N.J.) rounded out the Cougars in double-figures,
coming off the bench to score 11 points and grab seven rebounds.
For Montclair State, senior forward Catherine Cristino
(Farmingdale, N.J.) had 17 points, eight rebounds and four
assists.
The Cougars face #8 William Paterson for the second time in the
last four seasons for the NJAC title and the conference's automatic
berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.
