Bloomfield, N.J. - In a tough road test, the Post University women's basketball team defeated Bloomfield, 65-59 to win its third straight game in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) game on Wednesday.
The win puts the Eagles at 14-4 overall and 9-2 in the CACC. The 14 wins ties the program's Division II record, which it set last season.
Sophomore Sha'Raya Haines led the Eagles with 20 points to go along with six rebounds. Freshman Tai Pagan earned her second straight double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
In a closely contested first quarter, the Bears opened up with an 8-2 lead at the 5:50 mark as Dashanique Ruffin set the tone early with four points. The Eagles countered with a 10-2 run of their own, as four different Eagles contributed, highlighted by four points from junior Taylor Williams to give the Eagles the 12-10 lead at 2:55. The Bears would go back up 14-13 as Jaylah Bennett made two straight baskets, but Williams made a basket with under a minute left to give Post the 15-14 lead after the first ten minutes.
Bennett opened the second with a three followed by a jumper from Estefania Dilone to put the Bears up 19-15 in the first minute.
Post responded with the next seven points - four from Pagan - to give the Eagles a 22-19 lead. Both teams would trade buckets before Haines hit her third three-pointer of the quarter to put Post up 31-25 at the 2:05 mark. Bloomfield scored the next six points to tie the game at 31-31. Haines would hit a free throw and go up 32-31 into the half. Haines scored points in the second quarter, including three three-pointers.
Post's defense came up big in the third, holding Bloomfield to 3-for-17 shooting. Post scored the first six points of the quarter to go up 38-31. After Bloomfield's Nyasia Bryant cut the Eagles lead to 38-36 at the 6:03 mark, the Eagles scored six of the next seven points, the last on a three from junior Hannah Benac to give Post the 44-37 lead. The Eagles would go into the fourth up 47-39.
There was no more separation between the teams in the fourth as the Eagles lead would stay between five and nine points throughout. With the Eagles up 59-51 late in the quarter, Bennett hit a three for the Bears to cut the Eagles lead to 59-54, but the Eagles were able to close the game after a nice pass from Pagan to senior Taylor Ceballos led to a layup to put Post up 61-54 with 57 seconds remaining. The Eagles hit four of their last six free throws to close out the game.
It is the second time the Eagles have beaten the Bears this season, as Post won 86-53 on December 18 at the Drubner Center.
Williams finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Jimmirah Johnson had seven points and 11 rebounds.
Post again dominated on the boards, grabbing 65 rebounds, 28 on the offensive side. Those 28 offensive rebounds led to 16 second chance points.
The Eagles will stay on the road, playing at Wilmington on February 1 at 1 p.m.
