Box Score 

WAYNE, N.J. – Trailing by 11 with less than eight minutes to play, No. 11/13 William Paterson (16-1, 4-1 NJAC) finished the game with an 18-3 run to defeat visiting Richard Stockton (7-7, 2-3 NJAC), 77-73, in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) women's basketball action Jan. 16.

The Ospreys were ahead 42-40 at halftime and came out of the locker room firing, surging ahead by 11 during the opening moments (54-43, 16:17). The Pioneers were only able to cut it to six twice during the next nine minutes, and each time Richard Stockton had an answer in eventually building a 70-59 advantage with 7:38 remaining.

An Allyson Scerbo (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) jumper got William Paterson started, and following two free throws by both Julie Haledjian (Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills) and Cori Santana (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) as well as a BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) three-pointer off a Stockton turnover, the Pioneers were within three at 71-68 with 4:23 on the clock.

After another Osprey turnover, junior Absatu Mustapha (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) rattled in a layup (71-70, 3:48), but the two teams combined for two turnovers and five missed shots, three of them free throws, during the next 2:20 before Richard Stockton's Nancy White found the bottom of the net for two points and a 73-70 edge with 2:02 to play.

Lucas knotted the score with a three-ball from the right corner at the 1:47 mark, and after the missed front end of a one-and-one by Stockton, Haledjian could not find the mark. However, the Ospreys were unable to run down the rebound and William Paterson extended the possession and drew a foul, sending senior Elisa Brown (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) to the line. She made the first of two free throws to nudge WP ahead (74-73, 42.7), followed by a miss from behind the arc by Stockton's Che'Na Thompson. 

The Ospreys were whistled for a foul with 13.4 seconds to play and senior Stephanie Summers (Atlantic City, N.J./Atlantic City) made the first of two for a 75-73 lead. Her miss of the second attempt was tracked down on the baseline by Brown, who asked for a timeout. Stockton was forced to foul immediately after the inbounds play and Lucas sank both to make it a two-possession game (77-73, 8.8 seconds) before an Osprey final pass was broken up during the last two seconds to end the contest.

Lucas scored 18 and Haledjian had 17 points, five assists and five steals for the Pioneers. Freshman Lindsey Callander (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) added 12 tallies, while Brown contributed eight points, four rebounds and four assists.

Sophomore Aliyah Nelson paced Richard Stockton with 15 points, White added 13, and Aspen Price-Perry scored 11.

The Pioneers will visit Montclair State Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 6:00 p.m.