EWING, NJ – The Rowan University women's basketball team extended its season opening winning streak to eight games after a 74-46 victory at The College of New Jersey on Wednesday night.
 
The Profs are 8-0 overall and they are 4-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Lions have an overall mark of 2-6 and they have a 2-3 conference record.
 
Guard/forward Kaitlin Schullstrom (gr. Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists. Guard Summer Crilley (so. Galloway, NJ/Holy Spirit) collected 11 points and four rebounds. Guard Valerie Garofalo (jr. Ventnor, NJ/Holy Spirit) contributed with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. Guard/forward Melissa Lake (gr. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) chipped in with nine points and six rebounds. Forward Kate Matthews (gr. Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) and guards Anyssa Sanchez (jr. Stratford, NJ/Sterling) and Olivia Rulon (fr. Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) each added six points. Matthews also had 11 rebounds.
 
Guard Jess Lynch (sr. Newtown, CT/Newtown) led TCNJ with seven points and five rebounds. Guards Kim Dana (jr. Freehold, NJ/Freehold) and Cindy Napolitano (so. Wall, NJ/St. Rose) and forward Nikki Schott (so. Washington, NJ/Warren Hills) tallied six points apiece. Dana recorded seven assists and Schott had eight rebounds.
 
Rowan went out to a 10-1 lead with 3:07 to play in the first quarter. Lake and Schullstrom each scored three points. Guard Angelica Esposito (sr. Lincroft, NJ/St. John Vianney) hit a three to cut the deficit to four (12-8) at the 32-second mark. Lake responded with a triple (0:09), giving the Profs a 15-8 lead at the end of the first. The Profs held an 18-14 advantage (9:03) then scored the next eight points to extend the cushion to 12 (26-14) with 6:03 remaining. TCNJ responded with a 12-2 run, trimming the score to two (28-26) with 3:25 on the clock. Schullstrom ended the period with a layup (0:49), making it 30-26 at the break.
 
Forward Christina Merlin (sr. North Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr) made a layup (9:04) to get the Lions to within two (30-28). Rowan then went on a 23-2 run that took the remainder of the third quarter and gave the Profs a 53-30 lead. Garofalo netted eight points, Schullstrom had five and Crilley and guard/forward Ashanti Bishop (jr. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield), four apiece. The Profs enjoyed as much as a 36-point advantage in the fourth quarter and won by the 28-point margin.
 
Rowan returns home to face Ramapo College on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m.