UNION, N.J. (Feb. 7, 2024) – Senior guard Brittany Graff scored 18 of her game-high 31 points in the first quarter, sparking the Kean University women's basketball team to a 26-point lead, and the Cougars went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 120-49, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.
 
Kean, which improved to 14-9 overall and 11-5 in the NJAC, scored the first 17 points of the game on its way to a 37-11 lead after one quarter. The Cougars led, 56-24, at halftime and 88-39 after three quarters.
 
Rutgers-Camden fell to 1-22 overall and 1-15 in the conference.
 
Kean, which defeated Rutgers-Camden, 93-65, on December 13 in Camden, now holds a 56-23 lead in the all-time series.
 
The Cougars placed 13 players in the scoring column as they compiled the second-highest point total ever allowed by Rutgers-Camden, five behind a 125-11 loss to Delaware State on Dec. 7, 1977. Kean became the second team this season to score over 100 points against the Scarlet Raptors, who lost to The College of New Jersey, 114-55, on November 21.
 
Graff had 26 points by halftime on 11-for-13 shooting from the floor, including 4-for-6 from three-point range. She finished the night shooting 13-for-17 overall, including 5-for-8 on three-point attempts. Freshman guard/forward Cara McCoy chipped in with 13 points for Kean. Freshman guard Gigi Gamble and senior forward/center Sarah Weber both added 12 points for Kean, while graduate center Shahd Badeer netted 10.
 
Gamble also added 10 assists to notch a double-double, while Weber completed a double-double with 12 rebounds.
 
Rutgers-Camden, which played only seven players, including six most of the game, received 24 points and nine rebounds from senior guard Rahzirah Blocker. She hiked her career total to 1,091 points. Her nine boards moved her past the 400 plateau for her career, giving her 405 rebounds.
 
Sophomore guard/forward Taja Brown collected her Raptor career high of 16 points, while freshman guard Maniya Simon had a team-high four assists. Freshman forward A'yanna Morton tied Blocker with a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Kean shot 52-for-92 (55.9 percent) from the floor, including 13-for-34 (38.2) from three-point range. The Cougars also held a 52-39 advantage off the boards.
 
Rutgers-Camden shot 17-for-61 (27.9) overall, including 1-for-13 (7.7) from three-point range.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Saturday with a 1 p.m. Senior Day game against William Paterson University. The Raptors will honor departing guard Jania Pitts.