Box Score 

MADISON, N.J. – Fourteen straight points allowed the William Paterson men's basketball team (1-0) to surge ahead by a 20-4 count, a momentum swing the Pioneers rode to a 58-44 season-opening victory at FDU-Florham (0-1) Nov. 15.

Senior guard Gabriel Paul (Newark, N.J./Hillside) scored a game-best 20 points on 6-for-10 (.600) shooting. Classmate Nick Allan (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) had 11 tallies and four rebounds, and junior guard Joey Castro (West Paterson, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) contributed a game-high 10 rebounds. 

Paul sparked the 14-0 run with a three-pointer, scoring nine of the Pioneers' points during the spurt to make it a 16-point game midway through the first half. That advantage was 18 at the break (34-16), as William Paterson was 13-for-24 (.542) from the field while holding the Devils to 22.2 (6-27) percent shooting during the first 20 minutes,

The Pioneers' lead hovered near 20 points for the majority of the second stanza, but the Devils reeled off eight unanswered points to whittle the deficit down to single digits (53-44, 1:26). The Pioneers were 5-of-6 (.833) from the free-throw line down the stretch to snuff out the FDU-Florham rally.

Adam Katz led three Devils in double figures with 12 points. Derek Hall added 11 points to his team-best nine rebounds. FDU-Florham finished with a 24.5 (12-49) field-goal percentage, including a 1-for-12 (.083) effort from three-point range.

William Paterson owned a 42-29 advantage on the boards while shooting 44.4 (20-45) percent from the floor.

The Pioneers will play Emory & Henry in the first round of the Stevens Tip-Off Classic Friday, Nov. 19, at 6:00 p.m.