UNION, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The Cougars and Gothic Knights were pretty much even through 20 minutes, with Kean University (2-2, 1-0 NJAC) and New Jersey City University (0-3, 0-1 NJAC) separated by only three points at the halftime whistle. However, a 20-5 edge for Kean in the third, and a 24-11 margin in favor of the Cougars in the fourth, led to a 77-46 win for Kean in both teams' 2018-19 New Jersey Athletic Conference season opener on November 20 at Harwood Arena.
 
It was a return to Kean University for NJCU senior captains Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) and Miesha Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune), twin sisters who both transferred from Kean to NJCU for the 2018-19 season. Marajiah scored 1,587 points as a member of the Cougars, coming up two points shy of the all-time DIII freshman scoring record (645) in her first year at Kean.
 
The Bacons combined for 19 points on Tuesday, shy of their 26.5 combined scoring average going into the game. Marajiah finished with 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Miesha tallied four points, six rebounds, and five steals.
 
Outside of Marajiah, the only other Knight in double figures was freshman center Jasmine Reese (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic), the NJAC Rookie of the Week, who had 10 points (4-10 FG) but failed to collect a double-double for the first time in her collegiate career.
 
For the Cougars, it was a balanced attack (four starters in double figures) headed by a monster performance from an unexpected source. Freshman center Keidy Laureano (Long Branch, N.J.) came into Tuesday's game with five total points in three career games. She quintupled her career output by the end of the night, finishing the game with 20 points on 8-10 shooting. She tacked on 19 rebounds (seven offensive), as well as three blocks and two assists, using her size to dominate the Knights in the post.
 
Senior guard Danielle Oakley (Brick, N.J.) scored 16 for Kean with four assists, junior guard Payce Lange (Tewksbury, N.J.) added 14 points and six board and senior forward Bre Spencer (Plainfield, N.J.) had 11 points. Freshman guard Shannon McCoy (Barnegat, N.J.) contributed 11 rebounds. Kean outrebounded NJCU, 54-37.
 
For NJCU, senior guard Christine Bizub (Fort Lee, NJ/Fort Lee) had six points, and freshman Zyearah Taylor-Gaston (Jersey City, NJ/Marist (via St. Anthony)) had five. Bizub returned to the lineup after having missed the previous game with an ankle injury. Senior captain Jesenia Montalvo (Hillside, NJ/Bayonne) made her 2018-19 debut, scoring two points in her 12 minutes off the bench.
 
The first half was a tense affair, with the Knights holding a lead only once (7-5) but perpetually nipping at the Cougars' heels. Every time Kean extended its lead at all, there were the Knights—often led by Bacon, who had a dozen in the first half—to cut the lead back to a single possession. Kean led 33-30 at the break.
 
The second half was a different story, however. The Cougars put the clamps down on D, and their offense got hot—a combination that allowed the Cougars to dominate the third 20-5, extending their lead to 18 by the start of the final quarter and further added to the margin in the fourth. NJCU missed all 15 field goal attempts in the third quarter (0-15 FG; 0-5 3FG) and was just 4-of-18 in the fourth period (.222).
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: 67th meeting. Kean leads the all-time series, 55-12 and have won the last nine.
• Kean held a 26-6 margin in second chance scoring and 15-5 on fast breaks.
• Kean's largest lead was 32 in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

 
UP NEXT:

• The Knights stay in conference, traveling to Wayne, N.J. to face off with William Paterson University (1-3, 0-1 NJAC) at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 28.

 
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