Kean improves to 14-9 overall and 9-7 in the NJAC, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 5-18 and 1-15.
The Cougars took a 31-29 halftime lead in a tight first half which saw the teams trade the lead three times. Kean opened the second half with a 14-0 run to put the game away, taking a 45-29 lead. During that run, freshman guard Ebony Jackson (Newark, NJ/Malcolm X Shabazz) scored six points, while freshman guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, NJ/Union Hill) added four.
For the game, Beyruti finished with 17 points, while Jackson added 14 points, three assists and three steals. Sophomore center Chari’ Cooper (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) collected 14 rebounds and a career-high six steals for Kean.
For the Lady Raptors, senior center Megan Rulon (Sewell, NJ/Clearview Regional) barely missed a triple-double, collecting game-high totals of 16 rebounds, 20 points and nine blocked shots. She raised her single-season total to 123 blocks, moving into second place on the program’s single-season charts, 11 shy of the record 134 set by Kamilah Byrd (1996-97). Rulon, who earlier in the year passed Byrd’s old career standard of 291 blocks, raised her school record to 334. She has two games remaining to get the 11 blocks needed to tie Byrd’s single-season mark.
In addition to Rulon’s output, sophomore guard Imani Hafiz (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional) had 11 points and tied Kean’s Cooper with a game-high six steals. The six steals gave Hafiz 99 for the season, putting her on the threshold of becoming only the third Lady Raptor to ever notch 100 steals in one season. The record is 142 by Cheryl Kulesa (2002-03), but Hafiz should pass the second-place total of 106 by Tamara Carey (1994-95) in her last two games.
The contest marked the 100th career game for Raptor senior guard Carmen Zimmitt (Woodstown, NJ/Woodstown), who became only the second player in program history to hit the century mark in games played. The program record is 104 games by Carey (1991-95).
The game also saw an end to the season-long streak of consecutive foul shots by Rutgers-Camden sophomore guard Miriam Lindemann (Cherry Hill, NJ/Akiba Hebrew Academy, PA). Lindemann had made all 15 of her foul shots this season before going 0-for-2 from the line Saturday.
The Lady Raptors return to NJAC action Wednesday with a 6 p.m. home game against New Jersey City University. The Cougars play a 5:30 p.m. NJAC game Wednesday at Rutgers-Newark.
RUTGERS-CAMDEN (5-18, 1-15 NJAC) Megan Rulon 9-16 2-2 20; Imani Hafiz 4-11 3-6 11; Krystal Jankowski 3-16 2-2 8; Crystal Pezzano 2-3 2-2 6; Karen Carter 2-3 2-2 6; Carmen Zimmitt 1-6 1-2 3; Melissa Whitten 0-1 0-0 0; Miriam Lindemann 0-4 0-2 0; Tanishia Greene 0-0 0-0 0; Jessica Hull 0-2 0-2 0. Totals 21-62 12-20 54. KEAN UNIVERSITY (14-9, 9-7 NJAC) Chi Clark 7-12 4-7 18; Melissa Beyruti 6-14 3-5 17; Ebony Jackson 6-9 2-2 14; Francine Bell 4-10 0-0 8; Kimberly Smith 2-6 1-2 5; Chari' Cooper 1-8 2-2 4; Shirley Fernandez 1-4 0-0 3; Allison Summerset 1-3 0-0 2; Sarah Kozlowski 1-4 0-0 2; Geanna Bonavitacola 0-1 1-2 1; Nina Oshiokpekhai 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 29-73 13-20 74. Rutgers-Camden................ 29 25 - 54 Kean University............... 31 43 - 74 3-point goals-Rutgers-Camden 0-7 (; Imani Hafiz 0-1; Melissa Whitten 0-1; Miriam Lindemann 0-3; Jessica Hull 0-2), Kean University 3-14 (Melissa Beyruti 2-8; Shirley Fernandez 1-2; Francine Bell 0-3; Allison Summerset 0-1). Fouled out--Rutgers-Camden-Karen Carter, Kean University-None. Rebounds-Rutgers-Camden 40 (Megan Rulon 16), Kean University 50 (Chari'Cooper 14). Assists-Rutgers-Camden 15 (Imani Hafiz 4), Kean University 16 (Ebony Jackson 3; Allison Summerset 3; Sarah Kozlowski 3). Total fouls-Rutgers-Camden 18, Kean University 19. A-112