Union, NJ:  The Kean University women's basketball team defeated Ramapo college 84-75 tonight in NJAC action. The Cougars, who win their fifth straight game, improve to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference while the Roadrunners now stand at 8-2 overall and 2-2 in the NJAC.
 
In the first quarter Sarah Minchin scored first in the game before Cindy Foresta sank a three-pointer for Kean while Samantha Rinaldi put Ramapo back up by one 4-3 with a jumper. An Emily Domiguez layup with 7:22 on the clock would spark a 14-6 run from the Cougars that put them up 17-10 with 2:43 left in the first. Rinaldi tallied a pair of free throws which allowed the Roadrunners to go on an 11-5 run of their own with seven points from Jenna Harsh over the final 2:28 of the quarter. Stacey Porzl tallied a key basket as time expired, cutting the Kean lead to one 21-22.
 
Both teams traded baskets to open the second quarter before Cherie Smedile and Sarah Olivero each tallied back-to-back three-pointers as Kean led by one 27-26 with less than eight minutes on the clock. Minchin recorded a layup before Casey Filiault sank a three-point basket for Kean while Abbegail Whildin put in a layup for Ramapo to tie the game 30-30 with 7:08 left to play. A mini 4-2 run from Kean put them up 34-32 with less than three minutes on the clock before a basket from Rinaldi tied it at 34. Filiault netted two points for Kean before Harsh put in the final basket of the quarter off a dish from Jessica Repasy as the teams would go into the locker room at halftime tied at 36.
 
In the third quarter the two teams tallied back-to-back baskets before a three-pointer from Filiault put the Cougars up 41-38, a lead they would hold the remainder of the game. That three-pointer sparked an 11-2 run as Lange lead the team with four points and the Cougars saw themselves up 49-40 with 5:45 on the clock. Repasy snapped the run with a jumper before McCoy and Whildin scored back-to-back baskets as the Cougars led 51-44 with 4:58 left to play in the third. Foresta and Smedile each tallied back-to-back three-pointers while Porzl tallied a layup to shrink the Kean lead to 49-54 with 3:52 on the clock. Lange sank another three-pointer for Kean as the Cougars ended the final three minutes of the quarter with ten points to Ramapo's six including back-to-back three-pointers from Olivero and Rinaldi as Kean led 64-58.
 
In the fourth quarter, Ramapo cut the Kean lead to four in the first two minutes of action before the Cougars stretched their back to 11 with a 7-0 run capped off with a jumper from McCoy with 6:03 left to play. Ramapo would fight back to cut the lead under ten while the Cougars always had an answer including a three-pointer from McCoy with 4:05 on the clock to take a 78-66 lead. A three-pointer from Smedile started a 9-2 run for Ramapo over the next three minutes as it was capped off with a three-pointer from Rinaldi to shrink the lead to five 75-80 with 1:12 left to play. A basket from McCoy and two free throws from Foresta in the final minute of action gave Kean an 84-75 win.
 
Three players scored in double figures for the Roadrunners as Rinaldi led the way with 19 points as she finished 7-9 from the field including 2-2 from the three-point line and 3-4 from the free throw line. Harsh tallied 15 points, two blocks and two steals while Alie Wickersheim contributed with ten points, two assists and two steals. Smedile netted all nine of her points from the three-point line while Porzl recorded eight points of her own. The team shot 50% (31-61) from the field, 37% (6-16) from beyond the three-point line and 70% (7-10) from the free throw line.
 
McCoy led the way for Kean with 24 points as she finished 10-16 from the field while Lange netted a double-double 17 points and 11 rebounds including eight offensive rebounds. Filiault collected 12 points while Olivero and Dominguez each collected nine points in the game. The team shot 49% (33-67) from the field, 40% (11-27) from the three-point line and 70% (7-10) from the free throw line.
 
The Roadrunners return to action when they host Rowan University on Saturday, December 14th at 3pm at the Bradley Center.