UNION, NJ – The Rowan University women's basketball team secured the second seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament with an 82-79 win at Kean University on Wednesday.
With the victory, the Profs are 15-10 overall with a 13-5 conference mark. The Cougars have a 12-13 record and are 9-9 in the NJAC.
Guard
Dominique Peters (jr. Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) led Rowan with 23 points and eight rebounds. Guard
Kennedy Brown (fr. Newark, DE/The Tatnall School) followed with 19 points, while guards
Alexis Kriley (so. Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) and
Nicole Byrne (sr. Brick, NJ/Brick Mem.) added 11 points apiece. Guard
Olivia Rulon (sr. Cape May Court House, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) grabbed eight rebounds and dished six assists.
Guard Shannon McCoy (fr. Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) had a game-high 33 points for Kean. Guard Payce Lange (jr. Tewksbury, NJ/Voorhees) contributed 20 points, five steals and four assists. Center Keidy Laureano (fr. Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch) recorded a double-double on 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Rowan trailed 38-33 at the start of the third quarter. The Brown and Gold opened with an 11-0 run for a 44-38 advantage with 5:26 left. Peters scored six points, while center
Ayanna Johnson (fr. Ewing, NJ/The Pennington School) added five. Rowan extended its lead to nine (51-42) after Brown drained a three-pointer (2:46) and Peters made a layup at 2:12. Kean went on a 7-0 surge with less than a minute remaining to tie the score at 53. Forward Cindy Foresta (jr. Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.) and McCoy each sunk two free throws, followed by a three-point play from Lange (:07). Brown hit a layup in the final moments to go ahead 55-53 heading into the last quarter.
Rowan held a five point (61-56) lead after Peters made a layup (9:18) and converted two free throws (8:01). The Cougars tied the game at 61 on a 5-0 run with 4:46 remaining. Guard Sarah Olivero (fr. Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) made a free throw (6:44), followed by a jumper (5:46) from Lange and a layup by Foresta. The Brown and Gold outscored Kean 11-2 over the next few minutes of play for a 72-63 advantage (2:18). Kriley had four points, Byrne tallied three, while Peters and Rulon each chipped in two. The Cougars got within four (73-69) after McCoy made two free throws (:56). The Profs used clutch free throw shooting in the final moments of the game, as they were a perfect 6-6 from the line to secure the victory.
The Brown and Gold jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the Cougars in the opening quarter. Brown made a layup (8:30), followed by five straight points from Peters. Kean cut the deficit to one (9-8) after Lange sunk a layup at 4:48. Kriley gave Rowan a 21-15 advantage at the end of the first after she scored on a fast break layup. The Cougars outscored the Profs 23-12 in the second frame to hold a 38-33 advantage at halftime.
The women's basketball team receives a first-round bye in the NJAC Championship Tournament. Rowan will host the winner of Montclair State University and Kean University on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
