Box Score 

WAYNE, N.J. – Deadlocked at 58-58 with 1:40 remaining, the William Paterson men's basketball team (4-1) scored seven of the final eight points for a 65-59 victory against visiting York, N.Y. (1-4) Nov. 28.

The Cardinals knotted the score for the seventh time of the afternoon with an Elijah Evelyn layup with 1:40 to play, but on the next possession York's Ryan Exum sent senior Joseph Ellis (Newark, N.J./Newark Science) to the line. Ellis missed the front end of the one-and-one, but William Paterson got the ball back when Marcel Esonwune was called for travelling at the top of the key.

Following the Pioneers' final timeout with 53.7 ticks remaining, WP had trouble getting a good look at the basket until senior Eric Moore (Dover, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) drained a deep three-pointer with four seconds left on the shot clock, pushing William Paterson ahead by a 61-58 count. An Ellis foul on the other end resulted in one-of-two shooting by Nick Hamilton-Lopez at the charity stripe (61-59, 0:23.8), but the Cardinals' Omari Phipps was whistled for his third foul of the day during the ensuing Pioneer possession. Senior Tim Lucas (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) made both free throws for a two-possession game at 63-59 with 18.0 seconds left.

Hamilton-Lopez committed York's 23rd turnover of the game with 11.5 ticks remaining, and a quick foul sent Lucas back to the line to make two more free throws and ice the contest (65-59, 11.3).

Ellis and senior Abdoulaye Ouedraogo (Newark, N.J./Newark Science) each had 16 points for the Pioneers. Ellis also contributed four of William Paterson's 11 steals. Senior Bobby Dunn (Garwood, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson Regional) scored 12 points, Moore added 10, and Dunn and junior Gabriel Paul (Hillside, N.J./Hillside) each contributed six rebounds.

Hamilton-Lopez scored a game-best 22 points, while Evelyn had 14, and Esonwune posted nine tallies and a game-high 16 rebounds.

Seven leads and a tie marked a back-and-forth first half that saw the two teams combine to shoot just 33.9 (19-56) percent from the floor and 23.8 (5-21) percent from three-point range. The Pioneers took a slim 25-23 advantage into the locker room, despite leading by as many as eight (14-6, 13:23) during the opening stanza.

Both teams were more on-target during the second half, as WP was 15-for-29 (.517) and York was 11-for-27 (.407). The Cardinals out-rebounded the Pioneers 43-33, but William Paterson owned a 10-23 edge in turnovers, a 38-20 advantage in points in the paint, a 23-14 lead in fast-break points and a 30-14 edge in points off turnovers.

William Paterson will start New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play Wednesday, Dec. 2, at Ramapo at 7:30 p.m.