Kean rolls past New Paltz with a 13-3 run to end the first half

UNION, NJ– Kean University, ranked third in the nation, rolled past SUNY New Paltz in women’s basketball Wednesday night, 78-55 in Union, New Jersey at the Harwood Arena. The Cougars used two separate runs to roll by the visiting Hawks.

For the first 14 minutes of the first half the Hawks and Cougars battled each other with the Cougars holding a slight advantage 23-19. Then the Cougars went on a 13-3 run to close out the first half led by Melissa Beyruti who scored six of her 13 points in the first half. The Cougars shot 33 percent from the field and was 17-for-26 from the free throw line in the first half.

Junior forward Kristen Sitek (Ellington, CT/Ellington) came off the bench for the Hawks to score eight points and add four rebounds in the first half. The Hawks trailed 35-22 at the half. The Hawks struggled shooting 24 percent from the field in the half and was 1-for-12 from behind the arc.

Midway through the second half, the Cougars went on a 22-2 run in a span of 7:24 minutes to push their led to 63-33. The Hawks were unable to recover from the 30-point deficit and trailed by as much as 35 and continued to struggle from the field shooting 26 percent. The Cougars shot 15-for-22 from the free throw line in the second half and held a vast advantage over the Hawks for the game.

The Cougars Melissa Beyruti finished the game with 24 points and eight rebounds and Danielle Brown added 11 points and 14 rebounds. Kean improves to 3-0 overall.

The Hawks junior forward Sitek and junior guard Abbey DeRossi (Albany, NY/Albany H.S.) each finished the game with ten points and five rebounds and junior forward Carly Minehan (Albany, NY/Albany H.S.) finished with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks. The Hawks open the season at 0-1.

The Hawks return to the court Friday, November 21 at 6 p.m. for the 1st annual SUNY New Paltz Tip-Off Classic against Wheaton College.