Rowan had the Kean Cougars on a tight leash with a jolly, 88-30, victory on Holiday Hoops Night at Esbjornson Gymnasium in Glassboro. The Profs improved to 6-2 on Wednesday to match the start they had a season ago. 

Only a game removed from scoring 101 points, Rowan’s 58-point victory is a season-high and is the largest margin of victory since head coach Kate Pearson took over in 2023. The Profs have also shot over 40% from the field in each of their last three games after shooting under that mark in the competitions that preceded. 

“I was really impressed with how some of the players really shared the ball tonight and made that extra pass and found each other,” Pearson said. “We just kind of talked about the more they give in to that team play, the better it’s going to be.”

Rowan had six players in double figures, with senior Jess McLaughlin leading the way with 12 points and hitting four shots from beyond the arc. McLaughlin has now eclipsed 10 points in back-to-back games.

“I definitely was in a bit of a shooting slump since the first game, but, you know, they were [the] people to tell me, just keep shooting regardless,” McLaughlin said. “I just kept that in the back of my mind, not thinking, just catch and shoot, and, you know, they finally started falling again.”

If the scoring wasn’t enough, Rowan allowed just 30 points, which is the least by a Coach Pearson-led team. The superbness on both ends has guided the Profs to their second three-game winning streak of the winter. 

“I think a lot of it stems from our energy that we bring to practice,” McLaughlin said. “It’s coming straight to the bench, to the game, [and] onto the court.”

The brown and gold were all over the Cougars, accumulating 16 steals and forcing a season-high 36 turnovers that translated into 40 points. Freshman Megan Donelson was a defensive menace, getting four steals in consecutive games. 

“I keep my head on a swivel,” Donelson said. “Everybody on the team just hyped me up, and that gives me a lot of confidence.”

Rowan women’s basketball will travel to Wayne, New Jersey, this weekend to face its most daunting task. The Profs will put their winning streak on the line against an undefeated William Paterson Pioneers squad.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for us,” Pearson said. “We want to be atop the NJAC at the end, so right now, that’s where Willy P is [and] that’s our opportunity to kind of compete with them.”

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