TRUJILLO ALTO, PR – The Rowan University women's basketball team defeated Berry College, 76-59 in its final game at the Puerto Rico Clasico on Thursday.
 
The Profs improve to 9-3 on the season while the Vikings have a 6-6 record.
 
Guard Anyssa Sanchez (sr. Pine Hill, NJ/Sterling) poured in a career-high 31 points for Rowan. She also corralled 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the campaign and added five steals. Guard/forward Alex Raring (jr. Linwood, NJ/Mainland Reg.) scored 11 points while guards Valerie Garofalo (sr. Ventnor, NJ/Holy Spirit) and Alexis Kriley (fr. Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) tallied eight points apiece. Forward Jenna Hoffner (fr. Medford, NJ/Shawnee) and Kriley each had five steals and Garofalo totaled four.
 
Forward Alex Weems (so. Douglasville, GA/Chapel Hill) led Berry with 20 points and 11 boards. Guard Kristin Rampersad (fr. Parkland, FL/Grandview Prep) registered 18 points and guard Christine Cerezola (jr. Peachtree City, GA/McIntosh) contributed with nine points and seven rebounds. Forward Valerie McLure (sr. Perry, GA/Westfield School) chipped in with six points and nine rebounds.
 
Weems had two foul shots to give the Vikings a one-point lead (50-49) with 8:02 to go in the fourth quarter. The Profs scored six straight points and the score was 55-50 (7:15). After a jumper by McLure (6:04), Rowan had a 7-0 run to go ahead by 10 (62-52) with 4:22 remaining. Guard Ashley McKee (so. Powell, AL/Sylvania) drained a three (4:10) and Weems made two free throws (3:02) to cut the deficit to five (62-57). The Profs then finished the game with a 14-2 surge. Sanchez produced eight of the 14 points.
 
Berry started the contest with 13 of the first 15 points over the opening 4:54. Cerezola notched eight of the points on a pair of three-pointers and a jump shot. Weems' jumper (3:09) made the score 17-6 (3:09). Rowan then embarked on a 22-1 run that gave it a 28-18 advantage with 3:28 left in the second. Sanchez led the charge with 12 points. The Profs took a 32-28 lead into the intermission.
 
Rampersad recorded eight consecutive points, including back-to-back three-pointers, to put the Vikings ahead by four (38-34) at the 7:37 mark of the third. Berry had a six-point cushion (40-34) before Rowan scored nine in a row to regain the lead (43-40) with 3:26 on the clock. Garofalo had four points, Sanchez converted a trio of foul shots and Kriley made a jumper. The Profs carried a 47-45 edge into the final period.
 
Rowan begins the New Year at home versus conference foe Kean University on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m.