Box Score
WAYNE, N.J. – Sophomore forward
April Smith (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) had season-best totals of 24 points and 19 rebounds as the William Paterson women's basketball team (12-4, 4-0 NJAC) steadily built a double-digit second-half lead, pulling away from Ramapo (6-9, 1-4 NJAC) for a 72-54 victory Jan. 14 at the Pioneers' Rec Center.
A 12-2 run midway through the first half helped to push the Pioneers ahead by 12 at 24-12 (9:25), but a pesky Roadrunner team kept attacking and scored the game's next nine points to pull within three at 24-21 with 6:09 remaining. An
Erin Cook (Princeton, N.J./Princeton) three-pointer and an
Absatu Mustapha (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) free throw again made it a three-possession game (28-21, 4:39), but Ramapo ended the half with a 10-3 burst, capped by Lindsey Gripenburg's jumper with 38 seconds on the clock, for a 33-33 halftime score.
Despite being out-rebounded on the offensive glass 9-1 during the opening period, Ramapo took advantage of its limited opportunities, shooting 11-for-19 (.579) from the floor and 10-for-11 (.909) from the free-throw line during the first half. Conversely, William Paterson shot just 34.4 (11-32) percent from the field, 50.0 (6-12) percent from the line and 38.5 (5-13) percent from beyond the arc.
The Roadrunners scored the first field goal of the second period, but William Paterson notched the next 10 points, building a 43-35 advantage at the 14:43 mark. The Pioneer defense then held Ramapo to just five points during the next six minutes, as the Roadrunners were 1-for-8 from the floor with four turnovers during the stretch for a 55-40 WP lead with 8:41 remaining. After red-hot shooting during the first half, Ramapo was just 5-for-26 (.192) during the second stanza.
Smith posted 17 of her points and 12 of her rebounds during the second half. Junior guard
Julie Haledjian (Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills) finished with 17 tallies and five assists, and Cook scored 10 points to go along with five boards. For the game, William Paterson owned a 46-35 advantage on the glass (23-8 offensive), and 27 of its points came from second-chance opportunities.
Sophomore Stephanie Cannizzaro and junior Beth Weinmann each collected 12 points and eight rebounds for the Roadrunners. Senior Tiffany China chipped in nine tallies and seven boards.
William Paterson will play at Rutgers-Camden Saturday, Jan. 17, at 3:00 p.m., while the Roadrunners will host Rowan Jan. 17 at 1:00 p.m.
