Box Score
WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson men's basketball team (10-3, 2-0 NJAC) pulled away during the second half for a 62-42 victory against visiting Rutgers-Camden (3-11, 0-3 NJAC) Jan. 12.
During a disjointed first half that saw the two teams combine for 22 turnovers (11 each), the Pioneers scored the game's first eight points, but the Scarlet Raptors would not back down, eventually building a 21-17 lead with 6:26 remaining in the half. With the score knotted at 24-24 (3:38), WP scored the final four points of the period thanks to a Gabriel Paul (Hillside, N.J./Hillside) jumper and a pair of Abdoulaye Ouedraogo (Newark, N.J./Newark Science) free throws, giving William Paterson a 28-24 edge in the locker room.
The Pioneers quickly pulled ahead by 15, beginning the second stanza with a 14-3 spurt (42-27, 13:49) that was capped by eight consecutive points from Bobby Dunn (Garwood, N.J./Johnson Regional) and a Paul steal and layup. William Paterson cruised from that point, never allowing its lead to dip below eight points for the remainder of the contest.
WP exerted itself defensively during the second half, forcing 10 turnovers and .250 (5-20) percent shooting by Rutgers-Camden. The Pioneers, who began the week as the Division III national leader in scoring defense (52.9 ppg) and ranked third in field-goal percentage defense (.352), allowed the Scarlet Raptors to make just .333 (14-42) percent of their attempts from the field overall.
Ouedraogo scored 10 of his team-best 12 points during the first half, adding 11 rebounds for the Pioneers. Senior Seve Cousins (Haledon, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) contributed nine points and four assists, while Paul and Dunn each chipped in with eight tallies.
Sophomore Joshua Askew led all scorers with his 20 points. Junior Bill Banks added nine tallies for the Scarlet Raptors.
The Pioneers will play a road game at local rival Montclair State Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 8:00 p.m.
