BOX SCORE
UNION, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Kean University continued its perfect season again Division III opponents as the #3/4 ranked Cougars shot 59.1 percent overall, including 67.9 percent in the second half as the New Jersey Athletic Conference leaders defeated New Jersey City University, 89-31, in an NJAC game on Saturday at Harwood Arena.
Kean (20-1, 9-0 NJAC), winners of 20 consecutive games since a season-opening loss at Division I Rutgers University, registered its fourth straight 20-win season and leads the all-time series against the Gothic Knights (4-14, 2-7 NJAC), 43-9.
The Cougars are ranked No. 3 nationally by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and No. 4 by D3hoops.com, and have won 19 of its 20 games by double figures, even against other ranked opponents, and every game by at least nine points. No NJAC opponent has lost by fewer than 12 points, and seven of the nine league wins have been by 32 or more.
Despite the loss, NJCU remains tied with Ramapo College and Rutgers-Newark for the final playoff berth in the NJAC North Division with four conference games remaining.
Junior forward Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, NJ) had a game-high 20 points to lead the Kean. She shot 9-of-14 overall, adding eight rebounds, six steals and three assists in 20 minutes.
Sophomore guard/forward EBONY CUNNINGHAM (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus) nearly notched a double-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and nine points, while freshman point guard LATIFAH JOHNSON (Newark, NJ/University) contributed nine points.
Also for Kean, freshman Naimah Clemons (Newark, NJ) had 14 points (7-10 FG), five rebounds and four assists, while sophomore Brittany Powell (Tinton Falls, NJ) had nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range off the bench. Senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, NJ) hadthree three-pointers for nine points (3-6 FG), while senior Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, PA) had six points and a game-high five assists.
Kean, which shot 39-of-66 overall and 6-of-13 from three-point range (.462) scored the first 11 points of the game and 18 of 20 as junior forward Angelica Bermudez (Jersey City, NJ) had six points and Patrick added five in the opening nine minutes. Kean led 46-16 at the half and led by as many as 59 points in the final two minutes.
NJCU shot 22.4 percent overall (13-58) and 2-of-23 from three-point range (.083). Both teams struggled from the line; Kean 5-of-14 (.357) and the Knights 3-of-11 (.273). Kean outscored NJCU in the paint, 62-18, and 38-12 in points off turnovers. NJCU had 35 giveaways; Kean coughed it up 24 times.
NJCU will seek to snap a three-game losing streak on Monday, February 1 at 6 p.m. when it hosts John Jay College in a non-conference game at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.” John Jay is 0-19 and has lost its last 20 games.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
|
Team Stat Comparison
|
|
|
NJCU
|
KEAN
|
|
Score
|
31
|
89
|
|
Half-Time Score
|
16
|
46
|
|
Field Goal Percentage
|
.224 (13-58)
|
.591 (39-66)
|
|
Three-Point Percentage
|
.087 (2-23)
|
.462 (6-13)
|
|
Free Throw Percentage
|
.273 (3-11)
|
.357 (5-14)
|
|
Rebounds (O-D-T)
|
17-17-34
|
12-33-45
|
|
Assists
|
4
|
26
|
|
Turnovers
|
35
|
24
|
|
Blocks
|
0
|
9
|
|
Steals
|
8
|
18
|
|
Fouls
|
14
|
18
|
|
Largest Lead
|
None
|
59
|
|
Points in the Paint
|
18
|
62
|
|
Points off Turnovers
|
12
|
38
|
|
Second Chance Points
|
9
|
18
|
|
Fast Break Points
|
6
|
10
|
|
Bench Points
|
18
|
38
|
