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(02/15/10 11:00pm)
CAMDEN, N.J. (2/3/10) - The Kean University women's basketball team scored 15 of the game's first 16 points en-route to defeating Rutgers-Camden, 84-36, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday evening. Junior forward Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) had a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds in just 17 minutes to lead the #2 Cougars (21-1, 10-0 NJAC), who held their third straight opponent to less than 40 points scored.
For the Lady Raptors (2-18, 0-10 NJAC), freshman guard Cesyana Thompson-Blissett (Washington, D.C.) scored a team-high 15 points.
Patrick scored eight of the Cougars first 15 points, as Kean took a 15-1 lead just 7:10 into the game. The Cougars extended the lead to 33-14 at the break, as Patrick had 12 points and seven rebounds in the opening half and the team limited Rutgers-Camden to just 9.4 percent shooting (3-of-32) from the field.
In the second half, the Cougars led by as many as 51 points to win their 21st straight game.
Sophomore forward Danielle McFadden (Odenton, Md.) scored all 13 of her points in the second half off the bench for the Cougars, who had 14 of the 18 players score at least two points in the win.
As a team, the Cougars held a commanding 73-39 advantage on rebounds, as junior forward Angelica Bermudez (Jersey City, N.J.) added nine rebounds and McFadden grabbed eight boards.
Patrick finished with a game-high six steals, as the Cougars forced the Lady Raptors into 35 turnovers for the game.
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(02/15/10 11:00pm)
CAMDEN, N.J. (2/3/10) - Junior Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to record his eighth straight double-double and lead the Kean University men's basketball team to a 64-56 win over host Rutgers-Camden in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday evening. Jones hit 7-of-13 shots from the floor to lead three Cougars (8-13, 5-5 NJAC) in double-figures. For the Scarlet Raptors (5-15, 0-10 NJAC), senior guard Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, N.J.) had nine points.
The Cougars took an early 13-4 lead after six straight points on a pair of baskets by Jones and a lay-up by senior guard Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J.). Kean would extend the lead out to double-digits, leading by as many as 11 points (20-9) on a three-point play be senior forward Rodlin Pierre (Orange, N.J.) with just over eight minutes to go in the first half.
Rutgers-Camden would pull back within five points at 26-21 with just under two minutes remaining, before senior forward Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) gave the Cougars the 32-24 lead at the break with a jumper to close out the first-half scoring.
Darpino led the Cougars with 10 first-half points, while Oshodi added nine and Jones had eight points in the opening stanza. As a team, the Cougars shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the floor.
After Oshodi opened the scoring in the second half to push the lead back out to double-figures, seven straight points pulled Rutgers-Camden back to within three-points at 36-33 with 13:38 left in the game.
The Cougars answered with seven straight points of their own, pushing the lead back out to 10 points on a lay-up by Oshodi with less than 12 minutes to go and Kean would lead by as many as 15 points (58-43) following an offensive rebound and putback by Jones with 4:01 remaining.
Rutgers-Camden cut the deficit to six points in the final minute, as sophomore Joe Bush (South Brunswick, N.J.) hit a three-pointer with 48 seconds to go, however the Cougars hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 40 seconds to seal the win.
Darpino hit 7-of-12 shots from the floor en-route to scoring 16 points, while Oshodi added 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
Bush added seven points off the bench for Rutgers-Camden, while senior forward Tarik Hanton (Philadelphia, Pa.) had nine points.
(02/08/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (2/3/10) - Senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) will be included in the upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated after recently becoming the NCAA Division III all-time leader in three-point field goals made. The first Kean athlete to be featured in Faces in the Crowd in the last decade, Beyruti will appear in the February 8, 2010 issue that can also be viewed online at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/scorecard/faces/2010/02/08/.
The most prolific scorer in school history, Beyruti broke the NCAA Division III three-point record on January 13 against Richard Stockton College, hitting five three-pointers to surpass the old record of 368 set by Meegan Garrity of Clark University (Mass.).
Beyruti is just nine three-pointers away from breaking the NCAA all-division three-point field goals made record of 392 held by Kansas State's Laurie Koehn. She is also on pace to become the first female in school history to eclipse 2,000 career points, as she currently has 1,918 points.
Earlier this season, Beyruti hit a school-record and a NCAA Division III season-high 10 three-pointers in the win over Lycoming College and was also named the Women's DIII News January Player of the Month.
A three-time all-NJAC selection, Beyruti was granted a medical hardship waiver for last season after missing most of the year with an injury. In 2007-08, Beyruti led the NJAC in both scoring (19.0) and three-point field goals made (108/3.4), as she ranked 28th in the nation in scoring and for the second straight year led the nation in three point field goals made.
Beyruti was also named to the 10-member NCAA Division III State Farm Coaches' All-American Team as a junior in 2007-08 and was an honorable mention All-American pick as a sophomore in 2006-07, as she led the Cougars to back-to-back New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and trips to the NCAA Elite Eight.
The Cougars, who have won 20 straight games since a season-opening loss to Division I Rutgers Unviersity, are currently second in the nation in both the D3hoops.com and ESPN USA Today Division III Coaches' Polls.
(02/08/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (1/30/10) - Junior forward Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) had a game-high 20 points to lead the Kean University women's basketball team to an 89-31 win over New Jersey City University in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon. The #3/4 Cougars (20-1, 9-0 NJAC) shot nearly 60 percent from the floor (39-of-66, 59.1 percent) and held the Gothic Knights to just 22.4 percent (13-of-58) shooting for the game, including just 8.7 percent (2-of-23) from behind the arc.
Sophomore guard Ebony Cunningham (East Orange, N.J.) led NJCU (4-14, 2-7 NJAC) with nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Kean scored the first 11 points of the game and opened the game with a 20-4 run, as junior forward Angelica Bermudez (Jersey City, N.J.) had six points and Patrick added five in the opening nine minutes of the game. The Cougars built their largest lead of the game at the break, using a 14-2 run to close the half with a 46-16 lead.
Patrick had 12 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists in the first half, while Bermudez chipped in with all eight of her points on 4-of-5 shooting in six minutes off of the bench. Cunningham had eight points and four rebounds for the Gothic Knights in the first half.
In the second half, the Cougars quickly extended the lead to 49 points, after 19 straight points gave Kean the 69-20 lead with 12:59 remaining. Kean would lead by as many as 59 points en-route to winning their 20th straight game and posting a 20-win season for the four straight year.
Rookie Naimah Clemons (Newark, N.J.) had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, while sophomore Brittany Powell (Tinton Falls, N.J.) had nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range off the bench. Senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) had three three-pointers for nine points, while senior Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) had six points and a game-high five assists.
For NJCU, freshman guard Latifah Johnson (Newark, N.J.) had nine points and two steals.
(02/08/10 11:00pm)
Pitman, N.J. (2/1/10) - Junior forward Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) has been selected as the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Player of the Week for the second consecutive week as announced by the conference office on Monday. Jones earns NJAC honors for the second consecutive week after averaging a double-double 20.5 points and 17.0 rebounds per game in two contests played for the Cougars.
He opened the week with a double-double 21 points and 22 rebounds, while adding two steals in a 65-54 non-conference defeat to Moravian. He wrapped up the week by producing his seventh consecutive double-double, including 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field along with 12 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a 58-57 NJAC defeat to NJCU.
His 22 boards collected in the game against Moravian mark the most rebounds in a single game by any Division III player this season. Jones currently leads the NJAC in rebounding with an average of 11.9 boards per game.
(02/08/10 11:00pm)
NEWARK, Del. (1/30/10) - Sophomore Aaron Lucas (Union, N.J.) placed third in a pair of events to lead a strong showing for the Kean University men's and women's indoor track and field teams at the Thomson Invitational at University of Delaware on Saturday afternoon. The Kean men finished sixth overall out of 13 Division II and III teams, while the women placed tied for 10th.
Lucas qualified for ECAC Division III Indoor Championships in two events after clearing 1.93 meters in the high jump and leaping 6.77 meters in the long jump to place third in both events.
Junior Doug Bonner (Metuchen, N.J.) had the team's highest finish in the meet, as he placed second in the 500-meter dash in an ECAC qualifying time of 1:08.18. Rookie Vincent Schifini (CLiffwood Beach, N.J.) finished third in the pole vault, clearing 4.20 meters.
In other field events, junior John Badala (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added an eight place showing in the shot put (13.11 meters).
On the track, freshman Kevin Persson (Mount Olive, N.J.) was sixth (51.36 seconds) and senior Matt Gough (Jefferson, N.J.) was eighth (51.99 seconds) in the 400-meter dash, while freshman Jaris Rousseau (Paterson, N.J.) was seventh in the 500-meter dash (1:12.22).
Sophomore Chris Edwards (Camden, N.J.) added a fifth place showing in the 1,000-meter run (2:58.22), while rookie Joe Badru (Keansburg, N.J.) was eighth in the 200-meter dash (23.29).
In the relay events, Gough, Persson, junior Chris Pegeron (Plainfield, N.J.) and freshman Barry Clark (Newark, N.J.) placed third in the 1600-meter relay (3:31.98), while the four-some of Bonner, Rousseau, senior Ashwin Anantharaman (Hightstown, N.J.) and freshman Dennis Hassel (Blackwood, N.J.) were fourth in the 3200-meter relay (8:37.19).
For the Kean women, junior Alyssa Crosby (Hackensack, N.J.) had the team's best finish, placing fifth in the 500-meter dash (1:29.57). Rookie Ashley Arnao (Linden, N.J.) was eighth in the 60-meter hurdles (11.14).
In the field events, sophomore Maria Moya (Matawan, N.J.) added a sixth-place finish in the pole vault (2.70 meters).
(02/01/10 11:00pm)
SELINSGROVE, Pa. (1/23/10) - Freshman Kevin Persson (Mount Olive, N.J.) led a 1-2-3 Kean finish in the 400-meter dash to highlight the Kean University men's and women's track and field teams at the Orange and Maroon Classic at Susquehanna University on Saturday afternoon. It was the first meet of 2010 for the Cougars, who had not competed since December 6th. The men's 1600-meter relay team was also victorious, as the Cougars had two relay teams place in the top 10 in the event.
Persson crossed the finish line in 51.60 ahead of 47 other competitors, including teammates Barry Clark (Newark, N.J.) in second (52.21) and senior Matt Gough (Jefferson, N.J.) in third (52.37).
Freshman Imoleme Ilogienboh (Newark, N.J.) placed fifth in the 55-meter dash (6.79), while fellow classmate Chris Lowe (Jackson, N.J.) was fifth in the 55-meter hurdles (8.30). Freshman Joe Badru (Keansburg, N.J.) added a sixth place finish in the 200-meter dash (23.74) and junior Doug Bonner (Metuchen, N.J.) was eighth in the 800-meter dash (2:02.80).
In the 800-meter relay, the Cougars placed fourth (1:35.81) and sixth (1:37.25).
In the field events, sophomore Aaron Lucas (Union, N.J.) was third in the high jump (1.88 meters), while Badru added another top 10 finish, placing tied for ninth with a leap of 1.73 meters.
Sophomore Randy Reyes (Piscataway, N.J.) and junior John Badala (Scotch Plains, N.J.) were third and fourth in the shot put with throws of 13.54 meters and 12.88 meters, respectively.
Freshman Vincent Schifini (Cliffwood Beach, N.J.) added a fifth place tie in the pole vault (3.95 meters).
On the women's side, the Cougars had a pair of top 10 finishes. Sophomore Jamie Sacco (Park Ridge, N.J.) had the highest finish, placing tied for fifth in the high jump (1.47 meters.). Sophomore Maria Moya (Matawan, N.J.) finished tied for ninth in the pole vault (2.59 meters) to round out the Cougars in the top 10.
(02/01/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (1/23/10) - Junior forward Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) recorded career-highs of 23 points and 16 rebounds to post his fifth straight double-double and lead the Kean University men's basketball team to its second straight win with a 70-57 victory over Rutgers-Newark in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon. Jones led four players in double-figures for Kean (7-11, 4-4 NJAC), as he finished 7-of-13 from the floor and 9-of-12 from the foul line, while senior forward Deshawn Singleton (Passaic, N.J.) had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Scarlet Raiders (13-6, 3-4 NJAC).
In a back-and-forth opening half, the Scarlet Raiders led by as many as four points on several occasions, before the Cougars closed the half on an 11-2 run to take a 24-19 lead at the break.
Jones netted six points in the half-ending run, as he had eight points and seven rebounds in the opening half. Senior forward Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) added six points for the Cougars, while Singleton led the Scarlet Raiders with 10 points and four rebounds.
The Cougars pushed the lead out to double-digits with a 5-0 run in the second half, taking a 36-26 lead with 14:33 remaining. A pair of free throws from senior guard Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J.) gave the Cougars at 14-point edge at 42-28 with 11:50 to go, before the Scarlet Raiders pulled back within single digits at 45-36 following a lay-up by senior guard De'Vion Manning (Maplewood, N.J.) with 8:43 left in the game.
That would be as close as Rutgers-Newark would get, as the Cougars extended the lead out to 15 points on several occasions and Kean would knock down eight free throws in the final 77 seconds of the game to seal the 13-point victory.
Darpino finished with 15 points and two assists, while Oshodi added 12 points and three steals. Senior forward Brian Lytle (Union, N.J.) rounded out the Kean players in double-figures, as he had 10 points in the win.
For the Scarlet Raiders, Manning and junior guard Michael DeShields (Magnolia, N.J.) each finished with eight points.
(02/01/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (1/23/10) - The Kean University women's basketball team held visiting Rutgers-Newark to just 11 second-half points en-route to posting their 19th straight victory with a 69-32 win over the Scarlet Raiders on Saturday afternoon in New Jersey Athletic Conference action. Senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) led all scorers with 16 points, including four three-pointers, to lead the #3/4 Cougars (19-1, 8-0 NJAC). Senior forward Courtney Vacca (Wayne, N.J.) finished with a double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds) to lead Rutgers-Newark (7-11, 2-5 NJAC).
The Cougars scored the first nine points of the game and led 20-11 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the opening half, before junior guard Martyna Ruminska (Kearny, N.J.) capped a 9-1 Scarlet Raider run with a three-pointer, pulling Rutgers-Newark to within 22-20 with 8:37 to go in the half. The Cougars closed the half on an 11-1 run, including the final seven points of the stanza, to take a 33-21 lead at the break.
Beyruti scored 14 of her points in the opening half, while senior guard Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) chipped in with eight points for the Cougars. Vacca had nine points and seven rebounds in the first half for the Scarlet Raiders.
In the second half, the Cougars extended the run to 13 unanswered points with the first six point of the half, taking a 39-21 lead on a lay-up by sophomore Brittany Powell (Tinton Falls, N.J.). Kean would lead by as many as 40 points at 69-29 with 1:32 remaining, before Ruminska closed out the scoring with a three-pointer in the final 10 seconds for the 37-point Kean victory.
The Cougars held Rutgers-Newark to just 13.0 percent shooting (3-of-23) in the second half, while forcing 30 turnovers in the game.
Rookie guard Naimah Clemons (Newark, N.J.) had 13 points and four steals for Kean, while Jackman added 12 points and six rebounds in the win.
For Rutgers-Newark, Ruminska finished with 11 points and sophomore guard Jared Tactuk (Wayne, N.J.) added eight points.
(01/25/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (1/20/10) - Behind a balance scoring effort, the Kean University women's basketball team cruised to its 18th straight victory, defeating The College of New Jersey, 73-49, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday evening. Sophomore forward Danielle McFadden (Odenton, Md.) hit 7-of-9 shots from the floor en-route to a career and game-high 16 points, as the #3/4 Cougars (18-1, 7-0 NJAC) remained undefeated in NJAC play. The Lions (10-8, 3-3 NJAC) were led by sophomore guard Jessica Imhof (Flemington, N.J.), who finished with 12 points off the bench.
After TCNJ scored the first basket of the game, the Cougars rattled off 18 unanswered points, as rookie Naimah Clemons (Newark, N.J.) had seven points and junior forward Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) chipped in with six points to give the Cougars an 18-2 lead less than five minutes into the game.
The Cougars would extend the lead to 30-5 midway through the half following back-to-back three-pointers by senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) and rookie guard Nicol Biesek (South Pasadena, Calif.) and a free throw by rookie Tatiana Javis (Hillside, N.J.), before another Kean run of 15 straight points would extend the lead to as many as 38 points in the first half, as the Cougars led 45-7 with just over five minutes remaining before taking a 51-18 lead into halftime.
McFadden and Clemons each hit 5-of-6 shots from the floor in the opening half, scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Kean. Junior guard Stephanie Prall (Kinnelon, N.J.) scored five points in the opening half for the Lions. As a team, Kean shot 54.3 percent from the floor (19-of-35), while holding the Lions to just 23.3 percent shooting (7-of-30) and forcing them into 16 first-half turnovers.
The second-half saw Kean push the lead out to 43 points with 8:08 remaining after five straight points by junior Brittany Powell (Tinton Falls, N.J.), as all 17 Kean players dressed for the game logged at least six minutes played in the game.
McFadden also finished with seven rebounds and three steals, while Patrick nearly finished with a double-double of 10 points and nine rebounds, while also adding a game-high four steals. Powell (pictured left) hit for 10 points in nine minutes of action off the bench and Beyruti, the NCAA Division III all-time leader in three-point field goals made, added three more to her total, as she hit 3-of-5 in just 19 minutes.
Imhof grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for the Lions and Prall scored seven points in the game.
(01/25/10 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (1/20/10) - Senior guard Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J. ) scored a game-high 19 points and junior Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) had his fourth straight double-double to lead the Kean University men's basketball team to a 61-54 win over The College of New Jersey in a key New Jersey Athletic Conference South Division match-up on Wednesday evening. Jones had 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Cougars (6-11, 3-4 NJAC), who snapped the Lions' six-game winning streak. Senior guard Jay Frank (Brick, N.J.) led the TCNJ (10-6, 3-3 NJAC) with 10 points.
In the first half, the Cougars used an 11-2 run to take an early 10-point lead, as Darpino dropped in 11 points and capped the run with a three-pointer to take the 17-7 lead with 14:05 to go. Kean extended the lead to as many as 16 points (26-10) with eight minutes remaining, before taking the 36-21 lead at the break.
Darpino scored 15 points in the opening half for the Cougars, hitting 6-of-9 shots, while Jones grabbed 10 first-half boards. For the Lions, senior guard William Jett (Brown Mills, N.J.) came off the bench to score six points.
The Cougars scored six straight points early in the second half to build their largest lead at 44-23 following a lay-up by Jones just 3:34 into the half. After the Cougars again led by as many as 20 points on several more occasions, TCNJ closed the game on a 13-3 run to pull back within single digits.
Senior forward Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) grabbed 13 rebounds for the Cougars, while senior forward Brian Lytle (Union, N.J.) added eight points.
Junior forward Steve Siracusa (New Providence, N.J.) had nine points, eight rebounds and four steals for TCNJ.
(01/25/10 11:00pm)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (1/19/10) - Junior forward Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) recorded his third straight double-double, however the Kean University men's basketball team fell to host College of Staten Island, 72-64, in non-conference action on Monday afternoon. Jones finished with a game-high 21 points for the Cougars (5-10), who were unable to overcome a double-digit first-half deficit to the Dolphins (8-8). Senior forward Christian Montervino (Ewing, N.J.) led four Dolphins in double-digits with 19 points, as CSI connected on nearly 60 percent of their shots from the floor (24-of-41, 58.5 percent) for the game.
With the game tied at 5-5 just 3:06 into the game, the Dolphins capped an 18-4 run with 12 unanswered points to take a 23-9 lead with 12:39 remaining in the opening half.
The Cougars halted the run with six straight points to pull back within eight points, however a 10-1 CSI spurt extended the lead to 17 points at 33-16 with 8:25 to go. A 15-6 Kean run closed the half to pull the Cougars to within single digits at 39-31 at the break.
In the second half, the Dolphins pushed the lead back out to 14 points with 16:46 left in the game, before Jones scored the first six points of a 19-8 run and senior Dean Hughes (Pemberton Twp., N.J.) capped it to pull the Cougars to within one point at 55-54 with just over eight minutes remaining.
After CSI pushed the lead back out to 65-58 on a pair of free throws by sophomore forward Jordan Young (Wall, N.J.), Jones capped a 6-1 spurt with a dunk to cut the deficit to 66-64 with just under one minute remaining.
The Dolphins scored on their next possession to push the advantage back out to four points and the Cougars were unable to score the rest of the way.
Jones hit 9-of-14 shots from the floor and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, while Oshodi connected on 6-of-7 shots from the field en-route to 14 points.
Montervino added a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore Dale Taranto (Staten Island, N.Y.) was 8-of-10 from the floor and scored 18 points.
(01/25/10 11:00pm)
Mahwah, N.J. (1/16/10) - Junior Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) recorded her eighth double-double of the season as Kean won their 17th straight contest defeating Ramapo College, 79-64, Saturday evening. Patrick (pictured right) finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds to help KU improve to 17-1 overall and 6-0 in New Jersey Athletic Conferenc (NJAC) action.
The Roadrunners jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a quick three-point shot and jumper from Brittany Hoffman (Belford, N.J.) just under one minute into the game. Free throws put Kean on the scoreboard but with nine turnovers over the next nine minutes, Ramapo spread their lead to nine, 22-13, halfway through the first half. The Cougars responded with an 11-2 run, sparked by a three-point goal from Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) and capped off with a jump shot from Patrick, to tie the game for the first time at 24 with 7:14 on the clock. Senior Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) gave the Cougars their first lead of the game hitting two free throws just under one minute later to go up, 26-24. The remaining minutes in the half remained close but Kean headed into the intermission holding a slight edge, 37-35.
Patrick led Kean with 15 points and eight boards in the first 20 minutes of play.
Kean hit six three-point goals in the second half and controlled the lead for the full 20 minutes, besides a 37-37 tie in the opening minute. The Cougars earned their biggest lead at 1:43 when Jackman knocked down the game's eighth three-point goal for an 18-point, 79-61, lead.
Beyruti (pictured left) netted 21 points of her own on five treys to bring her career total to 374 while Jackman finished the night with 18 points of her own.
With the win, head coach Michele Sharp collected her 200th victory at Kean University, putting her career total at Kean at 200-120 in 12 seasons.
(12/07/09 11:00pm)
Union, N.J. (12/2/09) - Senior Brian Lytle (Union, N.J.) scored a team-high 14 points as the Kean University men's team edged visiting Rutgers-Camden, 59-56, Wednesday evening at Harwood Arena. The matchup was the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opener for both as Kean improved to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC. The loss is the first for the Scarlet Raptors this season as Camden falls to 3-1 and 0-1 in conference action.
Junior Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) scored the first basket of the contest as Kean didn't look back in the first half, controlling the lead throughout. Kean took their biggest lead with 1:57 to go as senior Eugene Tolliver (East Orange, N.J.) nailed a three-pointer to give KU a 29-13 advantage. Kean headed into the break
with a 36-22 lead.
In the first half senior Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) added seven points and five rebounds while Tolliver and Lytle added six apiece. For Rutgers-Camden, senior Joshua Askew (Sicklerville, N.J.) had seven points.
The Cougars kept pace with their lead throughout the early part of the second half, but the Scarlet Raptors started chipping away late, and closed the deficit to single digits with 5:52 to go as Chris Clahar (Philadelphia, Pa.) hit a layup to put the score at 53-44. Camden continued to close the gap and got within two on two separate occasions with under a minute in the game. Askew hit a trey with 57 seconds remaining to put the score at 55-53. After a Lytle basket and a Jones free-throw to push the lead back to five, Askew again hit a three-pointer with eight seconds on the clock, trailing 58-56. Freshman Mike Shaughnessy (Linwood, N.J.) hit one-of-two from the free-throw line to push the lead back to three before Askew's last second three-point attempt fell short at the buzzer.
Oshodi finished with 10 points and six rebounds while Jones added seven points and 12 rebounds.
For Rutgers-Camden, Askew had a game-high 16 points while Clahar added 12 in the loss.
(12/07/09 11:00pm)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (11/29/09) - Senior forward Akinwande Oshodi (Florence, N.J.) scored 21 points and junior Jonathan Jones (Linden, N.J.) added a double-double to lead the Kean University men's basketball team to a 73-70 victory over Curry College in the consolation game at the Holiday Inn Airport Invitational at the University of Rochester on Sunday afternoon. Oshodi (pictured right) scored 17 points in the opening half, while Jones nearly matched that with 15 points in the second half en-route to 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Cougars (2-2).
In a first half that featured seven ties and three lead changes, the Cougars scored the final seven points of the half to take a 40-37 lead over Curry, despite 19 points from junior guard Mark Mastrullo (Billerica, Mass.), who drained five three-pointers in the first half for the Colonels (0-5). Oshodi offset that with his 17 points on the strength of 6-of-8 shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 from the foul line, as his layup at the buzzer gave the Cougars the three-point lead at the break.
The Cougars extended the run to 15 unanswered points after scoring the first eight points of the second half to push ahead by double-digits at 48-37 on a jumper by Jones just 3:24 into the half. The two teams traded baskets on their next two possessions before Curry mounted a 9-0 run to pull within two points at 53-51 with 13:17 remaining in the game.
Kean answered with five straight points, before the Colonels pulled even closer with an 8-2 run to cut the Cougar lead to 60-59 with just over nine minutes to go. The Cougars pushed the advantage back out to nine points, as Jones capped an 11-3 run with a dunk with 3:43 remaining.
Curry scored the next eight points to pull back within one point with just 40 seconds remaining, before Jones pushed the lead back out to three points with a layup with 10 seconds remaining and a Curry three-pointer in the final seconds missed the mark as the Cougars picked up the win.
Jones earned all-tournament team honors after also adding four steals and two assists in the win. Senior Vinnie Darpino (Colonia, N.J.) (pictured left) added eight points and a team-high four assists for the Cougars.
Mastrullo finished with a Palestra record nine-three pointers, as he scored a game-high 31 points to also earn all-tournament team honors.
(12/07/09 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (12/1/09) - Kean University women's basketball Head Coach Michele Sharp has been named the Women's DIII News Coach of the Month for November 2009, after the Cougars opened the season 3-1. Kean's only loss came at the hands of NCAA Division I Rutgers University on November 17, as the Cougars fell to the host Scarlet Raiders, 85,49, in the season opener. The Cougars held a 17-13 lead after just seven minutes of play, before the Division I school took the lead for good.
The Cougars rebounded with three straight wins to close out the month and head into New Jersey Athletic Conference play, where the Cougars were selected as the preseason favorite to win their third title in the last four seasons.
Kean defeated Husson University, 82-49, in the opener of the Cougar Classic and knocked off Ithaca College, 65-52, in the championship game. The Cougars also handled John Jay College, 104-30, as 16 different players scored points.
(12/07/09 11:00pm)
Union, N.J. (12/2/09) - Senior Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Kean women's basketball team to their first conference win of the season, defeating visiting Rutgers-Camden, 89-47, Wednesday evening at Harwood Arena. Beyruti was one of 18 Cougars to see action this evening as #9/12 Kean improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden drops to 2-3 and 0-1 in conference action.
The scoring was slow and steady in the early goings of tonight's matchup before Kean used a 10-0 run to take a 17-7 lead. Senior Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) got the run started with a trey at 15:20 to give the Cougars the lead for good in the matchup. Kean extended their lead to as many as 19 in the first half as Jackman again connected for a layup with 5:51 to go for a 35-16 advantage.
KU headed into the break with a 45-27 lead. Jackman contributed with 11 points while freshman Brittanie Payne (Willingboro, N.J.) added nine on 4-of-4 from the floor and one from the charity stripe. For the Lady Raptors junior Karima Blackwell (Somerdale, N.J.) recorded 12 points in the first 20 minutes of action.
The Cougars then cruised through the second half, ending with their largest lead in the final of 89-47.
Jackman finished with 13 points while rookie Naimah Clemons (Newark, N.J.) registered 10 points, five rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Brittany Powell (Tinton Falls, N.J.) recorded 10 points. For Rutgers-Camden, Blackwell finished with 15 points and nine rebounds while teammate Brittany Turner (Belleville, N.J.) added 13 points.
(11/30/09 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (11/21/09) - For the second time in the last four seasons, the Kean University football team captured the Eastern College Athletic Conference Southeast Bowl Championship, defeating Ursinus College, 35-14, on Saturday afternoon in front of 1,979 fans at Kean Alumni Stadium. Senior running back Jared Chunn (Tinton Falls, N.J.) finished with 101 rushing yards and two touchdowns to earn Most Valuable Player honors, as the Cougars tied the school record for wins in a season with their ninth victory of the year and capture just the third ECAC title in the 40-year history of the program.
For Ursinus (6-5), senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa.) passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns.
On Kean's second possession of the game, sophomore quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi (Eatontown, N.J.) aired it out to junior wide receiver Matt Puorro (Point Pleasant, N.J.) just outside the endzone, as Puorro outjumped the Bear defense to grab the 36-yard touchdown pass, capping the six-play, 64-yard drive with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter for the early 7-0 lead.
Ursinus answered right back with a touchdown, moving the ball 63-yards downfield on seven plays when Decristofaro responded with a 37-yard touchdown pass of his own to sophomore wide receiver Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, Pa.) to tie the game at 7-7 with just two seconds remaining on the clock in the first quarter.
Chunn would give the Cougars the lead for good in the second quarter when he ran for a 27-yard touchdown score on a drive that was set up when Kean junior Ricardo Esteves (Tinton Falls, N.J.) recovered the Ursinus fumble in Ursinus territory following a Cougar punt.
In the second half, sophomore T.J. Denehy (Monroe Township, N.J.) extended the Cougar lead after returning an Ursinus punt 65-yards for the touchdown and the 20-7 lead after the extra point conversion with 10:58 left in the third quarter.
The Bears pulled back to within 20-14 later in the quarter after forcing a fumble on a Kean punt return that freshman Buddy Ferro (Clifton Heights, Pa.) recovered at the Kean 17-yard line to set up a four-yard touchdown pass from Decristofaro to junior tight end C.J. Yespelkis (Wayne, Pa.) with just over eight minutes remaining in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars put the game out of reach with a pair of touchdowns and the Kean defense held the Bears to -26 yards rushing in the quarter to capture its second ECAC title under Head Coach Dan Garrett.
On the first scoring drive of the quarter, the Cougars took over at the Ursinus 19-yard line when junior Rick Brandt (Little Silver, N.J.) blocked the Bear punt that junior Tom Moncrief (Keyport, N.J.) recovered. Chunn took the ball the rest of the way, first with a two-yard carry before breaking the 17-yard touchdown run for his second score of the game. D'Ambrisi competed the two-point conversion to senior tight end Alex Cade (Galloway, N.J.) for the two touchdown lead with 8:30 left in the game.
With just under seven minutes remaining, D'Ambrisi connected with senior wide receiver Derris Harris (Freehold, N.J.) on the 46-yard touchdown pass to close out the scoring.
It was Chunn's sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season, as he finishes his career in second place on Kean's all-time rushing yards list with 3,597 yards, just 34 yards shy of Trenell Smith's school-record of 3,631 career yards. Chunn, who is the only player in school history to record two 1,000 yard rushing seasons, finished the season with 1,189 yards rushing.
Defensively, the Cougars held the Bears to just 39 yards rushing and Kean has allowed just 916 yards rushing all season to set a new school record for fewest rushing yards allowed in a season. The Cougars shattered the old record of 944 yards allowed in nine games in 1995.
The Kean defense recorded 10.0 tackles for a loss of 51 yards and had 6.0 sacks for a 45-yard loss, while also making three interceptions.
Senior defensive end Darnell Butler (Rahway, N.J.) had a team-high two tackles for a loss of 15 yards, both on sacks, and sophomore defensive back Mike Mancini (Lacey Township, N.J.) had six tackles, including one sack for a seven-yard loss, and one interception that he returned 40-yards.
Senior linebacker Kyle Maher (Red Bank, N.J.) made a team-high seven tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss (-8 yards) and one sack (-7 yards), while freshman Justin McLendon (South Brunswick, N.J.) added six tackles, one interception and one pass break-up. Junior cornerback Chris Lauda (Staten Island, N.Y.) broke-up a game-high three passes, giving him 15 pass break-ups during the season.
D'Ambrisi finished 11-of-18 for 149 yards and two touchdown passes, as Harris caught four passes for 61 yards and Chunn added two receptions for 25 yards.
For Ursinus, senior wide receiver Shea Wisler (Green Lane, Pa.) had four receptions for a game-high 66 yards receiving and Pitman added four catches for 59 yards and the one touchdown.
Junior defensive tackle Dave Queroli (Narberth, Pa.) and junior linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, Pa.) each made seven tackles for the Bear defense, as Galie had 1.5 tackles for a loss of three yards. Rookie defensive back Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J.) had three tackles and his eighth interception of the season.
The nine Cougar victories tie the 1987 squad for most wins in a season, while the two losses is tied for the fewest number of losses in a season (1974, 1987, 1994).
(11/30/09 11:00pm)
UNION, N.J. (11/21/09) - Senior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) scored a game-high 16 points to lead #11 Kean University to a 82-49 victory over Husson University in the opening round of THE ROCK Cougar Classic on Saturday afternoon. Beyruti knocked down three three-pointers and hit all five of her free throws as the Cougars (1-1) held the Eagles to just 26.1 percent (6-of-23) shooting in the second half to pull away in their home opener.
Junior forward Tiffany Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) added 13 points, six rebounds and eight steals.
For the Eagles (0-1), junior guard Bethany Sevey (Skowhegan, Maine) finished with a team-high 12 points.
Kean opened up a 14-4 lead less than five minutes into the game, as Patrick scored five points in the opening run. Husson trimmed the Cougar lead to 17-14 on back-to-back buckets by freshman guard Kelli Murray (Shawmut, Maine), before Kean answered with seven unanswered points to extend the lead back to double-digits.
The Cougars pushed the first-half lead out to as many as 15 points following a three-point play by senior forward Danielle Brown (North Brunswick, N.J.) with just under three minutes remaining. After Husson trimmed the lead back to single digits at 38-31 on a three-pointer by freshman Erica Lyford (Legrange, Maine), senior guard Alysha Taylor (Galloway, N.J.) hit a three-pointer and Patrick converted a pair of free throws to give Kean a 43-31 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Cougars used a 15-2 run to quickly open the lead up to 25 points at 58-33 and would lead by as many as 34 points on three separate occasions en-route to the 33-point victory.
For the Cougars, 16 players scored at least one point and 10 different players recorded at least 10 minutes of playing time.
Brown finished with eight points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Brittany Powell (Tinton Falls, N.J.) (pictured left) added eight points, two assists and two steals off the bench.
For Husson, Lyford scored eight points and had four rebounds off
the bench.
The Cougars face Ithaca College, a 55-52 winner over SUNY Cortland, in the championship game on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
The Bombers were led by senior guard Katherine Bixby (Philadelphia, Pa.), who finished with a game-high 16 points. Junior Jordan Confessore (Kendall Park, N.J.) added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, as she broke the 51-51 tie in the final minute of the game by sinking a pair of free throws to put Ithaca ahead for good.
(11/16/09 11:00pm)
The 2009 Kean University football team fell one win shy of the New Jersey Athletic Conference title and a perfect record in conference, falling to host Montclair State University, 14-6, in front of 5,665 rain-soaked fans at Sprague Field on Saturday, November 14, 2009. The Cougars (8-2, 8-1 NJAC), seeking just their third NJAC title and first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III tournament, had a pair of drives in the final minutes with a chance to take the lead or tie the game, however the Montclair State defense ended the Cougar threat.
Montclair State (9-1, 9-0 NJAC) captured the 2009 NJAC title with a perfect 9-0 mark and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The first half was a battle of field position with the first 15 possessions of the game resulting in a punt, as the Cougars forced Montclair State into a three-and-out on its first seven drives of the game and Kean only managed six first downs in the opening half.
After a Red Hawk punt pinned the Cougars at their own one-yard line in the second quarter, the Montclair State defense allowed no gain on the first three plays, forcing Kean to punt from deep in the endzone. Montclair State senior Scott Kubrak (Caldwell, N.J.) returned the ensuing punt 17-yards to the Kean 23-yard line, giving the Red Hawks their best starting field position of the game.
The Red Hawks only managed one yard on the first two plays of the drive, before sophomore quarterback Tom Fischer (Livingston, N.J.) completed a 13-yard pass to sophomore Byron Lewin (Carteret, N.J.) on third-and-nine to give Montclair State its first first down of the game and a first-and-goal inside the Kean 10-yard line.
Montclair State moved the ball down to the three-yard line following a three-yard run by senior running back Jeff Bliss (New Milford, N.J.) and a three-yard completion to Lewin, before Fischer kept the ball for the final three-yards for the touchdown with just 1:01 remaining in the half, and the Red Hawks took the 7-0 lead at the break following the extra point by senior kicker Marco Capozzoli (Bloomfield, N.J.).
The Cougar defense forced Montclair State to punt after a three-and-out on its first possession of the second half, where Kean took over at its own 36-yard line. Kean followed with the longest drive of the game, a 13-play, 47-yard drive that was aided by a 20-yard gain on a fake punt by Kean punter Billy Daniels (Ridgefield, N.J.) on third-and 14. Three plays later, Daniels kicked the 34-yard field goal to pull the Cougars to within 7-3 with 6:24 remaining in the third quarter.
Kean trimmed the deficit to 7-6 on its first drive of the fourth quarter following a 36-yard field goal by Daniels with 6:40 remaining in the game, capping an eight-play, 46-yard drive. On that drive, senior running back Jared Chunn (Tinton Falls, N.J.) took the shovel pass from sophomore quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi (Eatontown, N.J.) 44 yards for the longest play of the game to help set up the field goal.
A Montclair State punt gave the Cougars the ball back at their own six-yard line with 2:22 remaining in the game, however four straight incomplete passes, including a fourth-down pass that tipped off the hands of senior Derric Harris (Freehold, N.J.) and was nearly caught for a first down by sophomore T.J. Denehy (Monroe Township, N.J.), turned the ball back over to the Red Hawks.
Montclair State needed just two plays on the subsequent drive, as Bliss took the ball all six yards, scoring on the three-yard touchdown run and the Capozzoli extra point gave the Red Hawks the eight-point advantage with 1:35 remaining.
On Kean's final drive, the Cougars took advantage of a MSU roughing the passer penalty on fourth-down for an extra set of downs, however the Montclair State defense sacked D'Ambrisi on first down and broke-up two of the final three incomplete passes to clinch the NJAC title.
Chunn finished with 57 yards rushing on 21 carries and the one reception for 44 yards.
Defensively, the Cougars limited Montclair State to just 132 yards of total offense, as senior Kyle Maher (Red Bank, N.J.) had a team-high seven tackles. Sophomore Ray Wegrzynek (Linden, N.J.) finished with five tackles, including two and a half tackles for a loss of eight yards, while senior Matt Donaghue (Old Bridge, N.J.) had a pair of sacks for a seven yard loss.
Kean will play Ursinus College on Saturday, November 21, 2009, at 12 noon at Kean Alumni Stadium for the ECAC Southeast Bowl Championship.