Box Score
WAYNE, N.J. – Sophomore
Deidra Thompson's (Prospect Park, N.J./Paterson Eastside) first career double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds led five William Paterson (16-6, 8-2 NJAC) players in double figures as the Pioneers secured a bid to the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Women's Basketball Tournament, cruising to an 82-39 victory against New Jersey City (4-19, 1-10 NJAC) Feb. 7 at the Rec Center.
The Pioneers, whose 43-point margin of victory was its biggest since a road win at Rutgers-Camden (91-40) Jan. 17, handed the Gothic Knights their 10th-consecutive loss while holding them to 27.6 (16-58) percent shooting.
The Pioneers opened the second half on 15-3 scoring run to push their lead to 48-23 with 14:28 left. Sophomore forward
April Smith (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) scored one of her five baskets (10 points) to cap the burst, but it was junior
Erin Cook (Princeton, N.J./Princeton) who fueled it.
After a
Julie Haledjian (Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills) three-pointer, Cook scored eight of the following 12 points as the Gothic Knights continued to give away easy baskets off turnovers. For the game, the Pioneers scored 22 points off 23 NJCU giveaways.
Cook led all scorers with 14 points and eight rebounds, freshman
BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists, and sophomore forward
Absatu Mustapha (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) recorded 12 points and eight boards for the Pioneers, who shot 46.2 (18-39) percent from the field in the second half to finish at 40.3 (31-77) percent. William Paterson out-rebounded NJCU 60-238, including a 30-15 edge on the offensive glass, as five players had at least seven rebounds for the Pioneers.
A Thompson layup gave the Pioneers their first 30-point advantage (59-29) with 10:54 left, and
Danielle Sindorf's (Burlington, N.J./Burlington Twp.) layup pushed it over 40 points (76-35) with 2:40 remaining.
Freshman guard Lashawn Overton, the NJAC's fourth-leading scorer, had an off night, finishing 1-for-17 from the field but she added seven assists and three steals. Junior guard Carolina Garcia led all NJCU scorers with 12 points, while teammate Shayla Daniels grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and posted seven points for the Gothic Knights.
The Pioneers, a bit rusty after a week away from competition, overcame a sluggish start to finish the first half with a 12-2 run for a 33-20 halftime lead. William Paterson was just 13-of-38 (.342) from the floor and 3-of-11 (.273) from the free-throw line, but 4-of-10 (.400) from beyond the arc during the opening stanza. Mustapha posted eight points and six rebounds for the Pioneers, part of a 34-24 edge on the boards for WP.
William Paterson will return to action Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Rutgers-Newark at 5:30 p.m.
