Box Score

WAYNE, N.J . – Thanks to staunch defense and red-hot shooting during the first half, the William Paterson women's basketball team (5-2) improved its win streak to four games, defeating visiting FDU-Florham (5-4), 83-74, Dec. 5.

The two sides came out firing from the opening tip, shooting a combined 66.7 percent from beyond the arc during the first 20 minutes (WP 8-12, FDU 2-3). The Pioneers steadily built a 14-point halftime lead (48-34), using its aggressive full-court press to create 22 points off of 13 Devil turnovers.

FDU-Florham chipped away at that advantage, closing to within three (62-59) on a Courtney Young three-pointer with 9:15 remaining. However, William Paterson immediately responded by scoring the game's next eight points, a spurt capped by Christina Longo's (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) jumper, for a 70-59 score and re-established control of the outcome.

Longo scored a team-high 17 points for the Pioneers, shooting 7-for-9 (.778) from the floor and 3-for-4 (.750) from three-point range in 17 minutes of action. Sophomore Elisa Brown (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) had 13 points to go along with seven assists and three steals, junior Stephanie Summers (Atlantic City, N.J./Atlantic City) chipped in with 12 tallies, Julie Haledjian (Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills) added nine points and a team-best eight assists, and junior Asia Johnson (Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood) posted seven points and a team-high nine rebounds. William Paterson shot 50.8 (31-61) percent from the field overall and 56.3 (9-16) percent from three.

Emily Cerankowski paced the Devils with 21 points, while Young had 17 and Danielle Michlovsky posted a double-double with 14 tallies and a game-high 10 rebounds. FDU-Florham shot 51.7 (30-58) percent from the floor and outscored WP 42-30 in the paint, but the Devils' 19 turnovers cost them 32 points in the opponent's ledger.