Women's Basketball

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NAMED TEAM OF THE MONTH

UNION, N.J. (2/1/07) - The Kean University Women's Basketball team has been selected as January's Team of the Month. In nine games the Cougars compiled an 8-1 overall record, while also recording a 5-1 record in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

The Cougars success this season has led the team to back-to-back national rankings. Kean cracked the top 25 poll for the first time on January 15th as they earned the 21st spot in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll and the 23rd spot in the USA Today ESPN Top 25. A week later with two more wins under their belt, the Cougars earned the 21st spot in both polls.

Kean sprinted out of the gate this season and as of this point, have lost just two contests. The first occurred in the month of December as the Cougars hosted the University of Scranton, then ranked #4 in Division III. Kean lost by just two points, 59-57, and from there went on a nine game winning streak, their longest of the season so far. Their only other loss happened just five days ago, as William Paterson University defeated the Cougars on the road in the battle of the NJAC unbeatens, 69-57.

The Cougars opened the month on the road in the Florida Sunshine Shootout taking on Gordon College and Husson College. Kean walked away with two straight wins defeating Gordon, 84-48, and Husson, 88-57. Melissa Beyruti collected 36 points in the wins while Chi Clark recorded 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Beyruti continued to impress as Kean defeated John Jay College, 81-68, on January 8th. Beyruti scored 32 points, including seven treys while teammate Ebony Jackson recorded 16 points and nine assists.

Kean returned home and reopened NJAC play, taking on Richard Stockton College and defeating the Ospreys, 85-66. Freshman Jan Bush led all players with 19 points off the bench as the Cougars improved to 14-1 overall.

The Cougars picked up conference win number five as they traveled to Rowan University, winning by a score of 84-46. Kean held Rowan to just 13 first-half points. Beyruti led the team with 23 points as well as four assists and five steals.

On January 20th, the Cougars won their eighth straight, defeating visiting Montclair State University, 78-55. Chari' Cooper chipped in with 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Beyruti led all players with 17 points.

Beyruti placed her name in the Kean women's basketball record books in their next outing as the Cougars went on to defeat visiting Rutgers-Camden, 82-48. With her 27 point performance from behind the arc, Beyruti broke two Kean University women's basketball program records. Her name now appears in the record books for three-point field goals made in a game with nine. The previous was eight set by Janae Brumby in the 2003-2004 season. She also set the new standard for three-pointers in a season, breaking her own record set last season of 63. Beyruti currently has 76 this year. Beyruti also recorded a career-high 33 points overall in the win.

The women's basketball team rounded out the month with a home victory over The College of New Jersey, 68-59. The Cougars and Lions have met three times already this season with Kean taking all three games. Beyruti once again led the way with 27 points, including six from behind the arc.

In the month of January, the women's basketball team outscored their opponents by an average of 21 points and forced over 27 turnovers a game.