Bobcat women hang with Cougars in Salem State tournament
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| Val Beckwith ’09 led the Bobcats with 17 points. |
SALEM, Mass. — The Bates College women’s basketball team opened the second semester of the 2006-07 season Friday with a 80-67 loss to Kean University in the opening round of the Salem State College Christmas Tournament.
The Cougars broke open a close game with a 14-0 run early in the second half, and raise their record to 9-1, while the Bobcats are now 5-4. Bates will play host Salem State (6-2) in the tournament’s third-place game Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Sophomore forward Val Beckwith (Woburn, Mass.) scored a team-high 17 points for Bates. Junior forward Matia Kostakis (Andover, Mass.) added 11 points and collected a team-high nine rebounds. Junior guard Sarah Barton (Portsmouth, N.H.) had a game-high eight assists to go with 10 points and five rebounds. First-year Danielle Schaefers (Providence, R.I.) scored six points and pulled down a season-high seven rebounds.
The Cougars received double-figure scoring from five different players, and took command in the second half after leading the Bobcats (5-4) by just four (39-35) at the break. Senior forward Chi Clark (Maplewood, N.J.) topped all Kean scorers with 22 points, followed by sophomore guard Melissa Beyruti (Union, N.J.) with 14, senior forward Ebony Allen (Camden, N.J.) with 12, and freshman guard Cardiss Jackman (Tobyhanna, Pa.) and junior forward Chari’ Cooper (Paulsboro, N.J.) who each netted 10. Clark led all rebounders with 11.