The TCNJ women’s basketball team achieved a significant victory over Kean University on Saturday, winning 76-37. The game, held in Union, New Jersey, saw the Lions match their season-best performances in both assists (22) and made three-pointers (16).
Katie Fricker led the team with career highs in scoring (25 points) and three-pointers made (6), accounting for nearly one-third of TCNJ’s total points. Brooke McFadden contributed with a game-high 10 rebounds and added four combined steals and blocks.
TCNJ began the game with a 5-0 run initiated by Grace Kowalski. After an early response from Kean’s Cara McCoy, both teams struggled offensively until McFadden hit her first of two three-pointers to give TCNJ a 13-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, TCNJ increased its lead by shooting 46.7 percent from the field and making five out of eleven attempts from beyond the arc. A decisive 16-0 run was capped by Baylock’s three-pointers, pushing the Lions ahead 29-8. Cassidy Brown added another three-pointer late in the quarter to help TCNJ enter halftime with a 32-15 advantage.
The Lions maintained control throughout the third quarter and extended their lead further through successful three-point shots by Brown, Maddie Bernhardt, and Fricker. By the start of the fourth quarter, TCNJ led 54-25.
Fricker continued her strong performance in the final period with two more three-pointers. Reghan Bice made TCNJ’s season-best sixteenth triple before Riley Ahrens closed out scoring for a final margin of 39 points.
Statistically, TCNJ shot 38.2 percent from the field and converted on 36.4 percent of their three-point attempts while holding Kean to just 28.8 percent shooting overall and only one successful three-pointer out of twelve attempts. The Lions also had advantages in points off turnovers (28-2), bench points (30-9), and rebounding (43-40).
Additional notable performances included Cassidy Brown’s nine points off the bench—making three triples—and Baylock tying her career highs in rebounds (7) and assists (6). For Kean, Peyton Smith scored a team-high thirteen points along with six rebounds.
According to team notes, Fricker has now scored in double figures for five consecutive games—the longest such streak of her career—while McFadden recorded double-digit rebounds for the fourth time in five games. The Lions have now won seven straight games against Kean.
TCNJ will next play at home against Stockton on Wednesday, January 28 at 5 p.m.
