UNION, NJ – Guard Nicole Mallard scored a career-high 25 points in the Rowan University women's basketball team's 71-65 conference win at Kean University.
 
Mallard also totaled four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.  Forward Eliana Santana contributed with 15 points and seven boards while guard Alexis Kriley chipped in with 10 points.  Center Ayanna Johnson grabbed a career-high 26 rebounds and blocked seven shots.  She tied the school record for rebounds in a game and broke the Rowan mark (56) for blocks in a season with 60.  This week, Johnson is ranked third in rebounds and blocks in Division III.
 
Kean guard Payce Lange recorded her 1,000 career point and ended the contest with 22 points and eight boards.  Guard Shannon McCoy scored 15 points and collected four rebounds and three assists.  Forwards Kayla Anderson and Danielle Mills each had seven points.  Mills also produced nine rebounds while forward Cindy Foresta registered 10. 
 
The Profs are 13-2 overall and they have a 7-1 mark in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.  The College of New Jersey is also 7-1 in the conference but Rowan is in first place because of head-to-head competition.  Earlier in the season, the Profs defeated the Lions, 68-57.  Kean has a 10-5 with a 6-2 NJAC mark.
 
Rowan had a 12 point advantage (55-43) going into the final quarter.  Johnson sank a foul shot and the Profs led 66-50 at 6:22.  Kean had nine unanswered points to cut the deficit to six (66-60) with 1:51 remaining.  Lange made two baskets in the surge. 
 
Santana scored three points at the line to lead by nine (69-60) at 1:03.  Lange nailed a three (0:31) and McCoy had a layup (0:25) to pull within four points (69-65).  Guard Kennedy Brown and Mallard sealed the victory with one free throw apiece in the last 24 seconds.  In the second half, Mallard scored 12 points and Santana added nine. 
 
The first quarter ended with Rowan ahead 13-11.  The Cougars led 9-2 at 4:47 then the Profs followed with an 11-2 run to end the period.  Santana scored six points while Mallard added three and guard Savanna Holt had a basket.  
 
The score was tied three times in the second quarter before Rowan took the lead and was up 32-23 at halftime.  Mallard's layup knotted the score at 21 with 3:30 left.  The Profs added 11 more points, which made the score 32-21 at 1:06.  Kriley contributed with six points in the surge.  Lange had two points at the line (0:57) for the Cougars to end the quarter.