UNION, N.J. (2/14/15) – The Kean University women's basketball team celebrated senior day for Shanice Jones, Shay Collins and AnnaRose Pierre before its 64-52 defeat at the hands of Richard Stockton College on Saturday. Kean's record is now an even 12-12 on the year and 7-10 in the NJAC, while the Ospreys improved to 20-4 and 16-1 in the league.
Stockton scored the first 10 points of the game. But with 12 minutes left in the half Kean had clawed back to tie. Owens had five of those points – including a trey – and Najha Treadwell had four boards to go with two points.
When Stockton took a 12-10 lead, Kenya Adams stepped back and nailed a long-range jumper to tie the game again at the 10-minute mark.
Both teams had trouble shooting the ball, combining to shoot just 30 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes.
In the final seconds before halftime, Deserai Vazquez splashed in two long-range shots – one a three-pointer – to trim Stockton's lead at the break to 28-24.
Stockton scored seven-straight points to start the next half, prompting Kean to call for time as their deficit had grown to 11.
After that stoppage, Collins (pictured left) put on a show. The graduate student celebrated her senior day by splashing a three, then getting a steal, setting up her teammate for a layup, then getting a big offensive rebound to get the lead back down to single digits.
But the Ospreys went on a run of their own and pumped the lead back to 13 as Lauren Alwan and Lea Mendolla both converted layups.
Around the seven minute mark, two Jazmine Davis blocks lead to two Jaquetta Owens layups on the other end. The Cougars had cut Stockton's lead to 8 from 16 in less than four minutes.
But the Stockton offence proved to be too much to overcome. Alex Nardoza finished with a game-high 15 points for the Ospreys, Sara Farrell has a dozen and Alwan and Lauren Bowler finished with nine apiece.
Collins was 2-of-4 from the floor for Kean and finished with a healthy stat line of five points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds. Treadwell led Kean with 13 points and grabbed 12 boards for a double-double; it was the freshman's 10th double-double of her rookie year. Aysha Harris hit a three pointer in the closing seconds for Kean.
The Cougars racked up seven blocks in the contest, led by Pierre who had a season-high four rejections. Owens finished with 12 points and three steals.
Kean will wrap up its regular season on Wednesday at the College of New Jersey at 6 p.m.
