EWING, N.J. (2/29/08) - It was a complete team effort, as the Kean University women's basketball team placed all five starters in double-figures as they captured the 2008 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship with a 70-61 victory over host The College of New Jersey at Packer Hall on Friday evening. Junior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) led the #12/13 Cougars (25-3) with 17 points, including 11 in the second half, while senior center Chari' Cooper (Paulsboro, N.J.) and freshman forward Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) each recorded double-doubles to help the Cougars capture their second-straight NJAC title and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Cougars won back-to-back titles for the first time since they won the last two of their nine straight championships from 1982-83 through 1990-91, and it was the first time a NJAC team defended its title since Rowan University won four straight from 1995-96 through 1998-99.

For TCNJ, junior center Hillary Klimowicz (Scotch Plains, N.J.) scored a career-high 28 points and added 17 rebounds and five blocks. The 2008 NJAC Player of the Year, Klimowicz hit 12-of-19 from the floor and scored 22 of her points after intermission to get the Lions back within striking distance.

After Kean extended their lead to as many as 20 points on their first possessions of the second half on a three-pointer by Beyruti, TCNJ cut the deficit to single digits for the first time when they pulled within eight points at 53-45 with just under 10 minutes remaining.

The Lions pulled to within eight points on three other occasions, and to within seven points at 68-61 on a layup by Klimowicz with just 21 seconds remaining before Kean junior guard Ebony Jackson (Newark, N.J.) sealed the Cougar victory with a pair of free throws for the final 70-61 advantage.

Sophomore guard Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) scored all 10 of her points in the first half to give the Cougars 36-19 halftime advantage, as Kean held the Lions to just 8-of-35 shooting (22.9 percent).

In the game, Cooper (pictured left) had 11 points and 18 rebounds to record her 20th double-double of the season, while Patrick had her first-career double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Cooper now has 1,471 career boards, third highest total in NCAA Division III history and 14th among all-divisions on the NCAA all-time list.

Jackson added 10 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals for the Cougars, as her six assists gave her 465 for her career, tying the program record held by Crystal Gadsen (1999-2003).

The Cougars await the NCAA Tournament bracket announcement on Monday, March 3, to find out the opponent and destination of the first round.