Women's Basketball

COUGARS ADVANCE TO SWEET 16 FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1987

GRANTHAM, Pa. (3/3/07) -Kean University sophomore guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) scored a game-high 30 points and junior center Chari' Cooper (Paulsboro, N.J.) pulled down 21 rebounds and scored 14 points as the Cougars upset host Messiah College, 89-84 this evening in the second round on the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship.

With the win, the Cougars improve to 26-3 and advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1987 when then-Kean College landed in the Final Four, while Messiah's season ends with a final record of 26-3.

Kean came into the game a decided underdog against the fourth ranked and host Falcons. The Cougars, however, showed no signs of intimidation racing out to a 48-42 first half lead. Messiah entered the game with the 11th ranked defense in the nation allowing just 50 points a game. Cooper playing on an injured knee responded by recording a double-double in the first 20 minutes.

The Cougars used a 21-8 run midway through the first half to build a 29-18 lead, as senior forward Chi Clark (Maplewood, N.J.), Cooper and Kim Smith (Burlington, N.J.) each had four points apiece. Kean eventually extended the lead to 12 points at 42-30. Messiah used a 12-2 run to cut the lead to 44-42, before Kean scored the final four points of the half to take a 48-42 lead into halftime.

In the first half, Cooper paced the Cougars with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore guard Beyruti added 11 points and four assists.For the Falcons, sophomore forward Ashley Brooks (Lancaster, Pa.) hit all five of her field goal attempts to lead Messiah with 11 points

.In a physical second half, the Falcons took their first lead since a 10-8 on a pair of free throws by Nikki Lobach (Hanover, Pa.) to take a 69-67 lead with 8:51 left in the game. After both teams exchanged a pair of baskets, the Cougars took the lead for good at 72-71 on a pair of free throws by Beyruti with 6:30 left in the game. Kean increased its lead to 77-71 on a three by Beyruti and lay-up by Chi' Clark (Maplewood, N.J.) and eventually held an 83-76 lead with just 3:22 on the clock. The Falcons valiantly fought back and cut the deficit to three on three separate occasions with the last coming on a pair of free throws by Lobach with just 49 seconds in the contest. However, on the Cougars next possession sophomore guard Ebony Jackson (Newark, N.J.) drove the lane and got fouled. She then stepped to the line and calmly sank the free throws with 24 seconds left to push the advantage back to five at 89-84. Messiah then missed a three and a jumper at time expired sending the Cougars into the Sweet Sixteen.

Kean will play Randolph Macon on March 9th at a yet to be determined location.