WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – William Paterson battled, holding a lead midway through the first half, before losing a 68-58 men's basketball exhibition contest at Division I Monmouth Nov. 4.

After an opening layup by junior Jordan Fowler (East Orange, N.J./Montclair), Monmouth rattled off an 11-2 run, started by a Whitney Coleman three-pointer, to grab an 11-4 lead at the 15:00 mark. The Pioneers netted the next seven points to tie the score at 11-11 at 12:37, highlighted by a Tim Lucas (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) trifecta.

Two Joey Spiegel (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) free throws at 10:20 gave WP a 16-15 lead, before Monmouth scored the next 19 points to corral an 18-point edge, 34-16, with 2:10 showing. The Pioneers trimmed the Hawks' lead to 40-25 at the break when Spiegel connected on two free throws with no time showing on the clock prior to intermission.

William Paterson cut the lead to 59-51 with 2:55 remaining in the game, when sophomore Al-Basser Holloway (Union, N.J./Newark East Side) connected on a three-pointer from the top of the key, and pulled to within 60-53 at 2:12 when classmate Chris Brown (Newark, N.J./Newark Science) drained two foul shots.

Monmouth scored the next four points, all on free throws, to reclaim a double-digit lead at 64-53, before Bobby Dunn (Garwood, N.J./Johnson Regional) dropped in a jumper with 1:20 left to pull the Pioneers within nine (64-55). After a Monmouth turnover, WPU's Brown banked in a jumper with 45 seconds left, making the score 64-57.

The Pioneers outscored Monmouth 32-28 in the second half, led by Holloway's 10 points after intermission.

Spiegel and Holloway each tallied 12 points for the Pioneers, while Fowler and Abdoulaye Ouedraogo (Newark, N.J./Newark Science) each had seven rebounds.

Last season, William Paterson posted a 15-10 overall record and a 6-7 mark in NJAC action. The Pioneers will begin the 2007-08 season Friday, Nov. 16, against Emerson in the first round of the Vassar Tip-Off Tournament at 8:00 p.m.