UNION, N.J. (Jan. 4, 2023) – The Kean University women's basketball team ripped off a pair of 14-point runs in the opening quarter and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden. 93-47, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.
 
The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Cougars, lifting their record to 6-7 overall and 4-2 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden falls to 2-11 overall and 0-6 in conference play.
 
Kean leads the all-time series, 53-23, and has won its last three games against Rutgers-Camden.
 
Rutgers-Camden senior guard/forward Jalissa Pitts notched the first field goal of the game, but Kean countered with a three-point field goal by senior guard Shannon McCoy. After the Scarlet Raptors regained the lead, 5-3, on a trey by junior forward Carleigh Galasso, the Cougars started their first 14-point run on a trey by McCoy, taking the lead for good at 6-5. By the time their run was snapped by a layup from senior guard/forward Rahzirah Blocker, it was a 17-7 game and Kean had held Rutgers-Camden scoreless for 3:06.
 
Another 14-point run followed Blocker's field goal, as the Cougars held the Scarlet Raptors scoreless for another 2:39 and built a 31-7 lead. A free throw by Jalissa Pitts ended that run, but Kean grabbed a 33-8 lead entering the second quarter.
 
By halftime, the Cougars held a 51-21 lead, with both McCoy and junior guard Brittany Graff scoring 13 points to lead eight Kean players in the scoring column. Rutgers-Camden received nine first-half points from junior guard Jania Pitts.
 
The Cougars held a 72-36 lead after three quarters on their way to the big win.
 
Sophomore center/forward Macy Seaman finished with 17 points for Kean, while McCoy and Graff both added 15 and freshman guard/forward Jordyn Keating scored 11. Seaman added seven rebounds to help Kean hold a 41-32 advantage off the boards. Graff paced the Cougars with five assists and six steals.
 
Jalissa Pitts finished with 17 points for Rutgers-Camden, while her sister Jania notched nine and Blocker added eight. Blocker and Jalissa Pitts both had six rebounds and Blocker paced the team with four steals. Freshman guard Deja Briggs notched a game-high six assists.
 
Rutgers-Camden shot 15-for-50 (30 percent) from the floor, while Kean was 38-for-70 (54.3).
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Saturday with a 1 p.m. NJAC game at Ramapo College.