Union, NJ – The College of New Jersey women's basketball team used a furious rally in the closing minutes as the Lions used an 8-1 run to close to within three points of 23^rd-ranked Kean University, but the host Cougars held on for a 60-55 win on Wednesday.
 
The loss knocked the Lions to 10-6 overall on the season and to 2-3 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The win was the eighth straight for Kean as they are 5-0 in the conference and 14-2 overall.  
 
Kean lead 57-45 with less than three minutes remaining, but TCNJ roared back as sophomore Tiffany DeTulio (Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) sank two from the foul line and senior Jessica Imhof (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) followed suit making two more from the stripe.
 
Imhof then drained a jumper and freshman Kylie O'Donnell (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling) made the Cougars pay when they committed another foul making both shots from the line. DeTulio then cashed in two more times from the stripe with 39 seconds left as TCNJ closed to within 58-55, but the Cougars turned the tables making both free throws with 14 seconds left to secure the win.
 
Things were exceptionally tight in the opening half as the teams were tied on eight occasions, with the final one of those coming at 21-21 when Lion senior Hannah Tait (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) knocked down a 3-pointer. The hosts then Cougars used an 8-1 run over the final 5:56 of the frame to carry a 29-22 lead into the half.
 
In the second half, the Lions netted two of the period's first three buckets as sophomore Liz West (Monmouth Beach, NJ/Monmouth Beach). Following Tait's bucket, the Lions trailed 31-25, but Kean countered with seven straight points extending the margin to double figures at 38-26.
 
TCNJ continued to battle as DeTulio used a 3-pointer to trim the deficit back to single digits at 38-30.
 
The Cougars were able to push that lead back to double figures before holding off the Lions in the closing seconds.    
 
Imhof led the Lions with 12 points, while DeTulio had 11 points. Sophomore Kelly Roddy (Belmar, NJ/St. Rose) tied a career-high with 10 points and Tait finished with eight.
 
The win by Kean prevented TCNJ head coach Dawn Henderson from becoming the 28^th coach in NCAA Division III history to reach the 400-win plateau. She will now go for that milestone win on Saturday, January 14 when the Lions visit Ramapo College to take on the Roadrunners at 1 p.m. Henderson has compiled a career mark of 399-198.