Women's Basketball | 11/17/2012 4:35:00 PM
Box Score GRANTHAM, Pa. -- Kean University held off a late-game rally from the Methodist women's basketball team in edging the Monarchs, 71-66, on the final day of the Hampton Inn Tip-Off Classic hosted by Messiah College on Saturday afternoon.
Holding a one-point lead (11-10) with 13:59 to play, Kean (1-1) reeled off a 19-7 scoring run to take its largest lead of the first half, 13 points (30-17), by the 6:43 mark following a triple by Jatirah Diggs. However, a 22-8 run by the Monarchs (0-2) that spanned halftime gave MU a 39-38 lead just 2:13 into the second half.
T.T. Taylor started the Monarchs' spurt with a layup and six different Methodist players scored during the run, including seven points from
Brianna Robinson and six from
Christina Schrader.
The Cougars rebounded and took the lead back (40-39) on a pair of free throws by Kyanne Sager, eventually extending their advantage to eight points (58-50) with 8:23 showing on the clock. The Monarchs responded once again, using a 10-3 burst to pull to within a single point (61-60) on a free throw by
Iesha Hayes with 3:52 left to play.
However, the Cougars made each of their four free-throw attempts and hit on 3-of-7 shots from the floor down the stretch, while limiting Methodist to 2-of-5 shooting with a pair of turnovers in escaping with the five-point win.
Methodist shot 41.4 percent from the floor (24-58), while Kean hit on 28-of-68 (.412) field goal attempts, including 5-of-13 (.385) from beyond the arc. Kean also out-rebounded Methodist, 49-36.
Robinson led the Monarchs with her second double-double in as many games with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Schrader posted a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and Hayes and Taylor scored 10 points apiece. Taylor added six boards and Hayes contributed two assists and three steals.
AnnaRose Pierre led Kean with 18 points, but shot just 6-of-19 from the field. Diggs finished with 16 points and Sager added 10. Pierre also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and Shanice Jones finished with six points, six boards , seven assists and two steals.
The Monarchs are back on the court on Tuesday when they play at Lynchburg at 7:00 pm.
