JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior point guard Jesenia Montalvo (Hillside, NJ/Bayonne)'s career-high 22 points wasn't enough when the New Jersey City University women's basketball team fell to Kean University, 85-47, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on December 6 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ("Coach Charlie Brown Court").
 
The Cougars improved to 4-3 (2-2 NJAC) after leading 17-7 at the end of the opening period and 38-18 at halftime. The Gothic Knights fell to 0-8 (0-4 NJAC) with the loss. Kean held a 48-18 advantage in points in the paint and scored 48 points off of NJCU's 39 turnovers. The Cougars shot 42 percent from the floor, while limiting the Gothic Knights to 35 percent shooting overall.
 
In defeat, junior guard Jesenia Montalvo (Hillside, NJ/Bayonne) scored all seven of NJCU's first quarter points and sunk 11 of the team's first 15 points before matching her career-high with 22 points (9-20 FG, 3-7 3FG), adding six rebounds, and three assists in 40 minutes of action. Freshman point guard Marymone Graham (Asbury Park, NJ/Asbury Park) collected seven points, while freshman center Kiara Wood (Asbury Park, NJ/Asbury Park) equaled her career high with 12 rebounds (eight defensive) for the second game in a row. She added six points in 30 minutes.
 
In a well-balanced attack, eight Cougars scored at least six points against NJCU with five scoring nine or more. Junior guard Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, N.J.), who was named All-NJAC First Team the last two seasons, led the Cougars with 17 points and five assists in 23 minutes. Sophomore guard Payce Lange (Tewksbury, N.J.) shot 6-of-11 from the floor for 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, while sophomore guard Camille Flim (Ewing, N.J.) scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting in only nine minutes on the court.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 65th meeting; Kean leads, 53-12 (Streak: Won 7)
• Jesenia Montalvo (Hillside, NJ/Bayonne) matched her career-high with 22 points against Kean. She previously scored 22 points on November 19 against Penn State Berks on a neutral court at Susquehanna University's tip-off tournament.
• Jesenia Montalvo (Hillside, NJ/Bayonne) scored in double figures for the seventh time in eight games this season and the eighth in 16 career games over two seasons for NJCU.
• Kiara Wood (Asbury Park, NJ/Asbury Park) matched a career best 12 rebounds achieved last Saturday at Rutgers-Camden.

 
UP NEXT?:
The Gothic Knights travel to The College of New Jersey on December 9 (1 p.m.). It will be the team's final conference match of the 2017 portion of the season. TCNJ leads all-time series, 57-3 and has won the last 17 games.
 
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