BOX SCORE
YORK, PA. – No. 4/6 William Paterson (12-0) snapped the nine-game win streak of host York, Pa. (9-2), winning 74-61 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Women's Basketball Tournament championship game Dec. 30. Most Valuable Player
April Smith (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) contributed 23 points, 14 rebounds, five blocked shots and four steals for her eighth double-double of the season, while all-tournament team member
BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) had 23 tallies and three assists.
Sophomore forward
Dana Jeter (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) contributed 10 points and five boards, and classmate
Floriana Borova (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) added six tallies, six rebounds, four assists and five steals.
The Pioneers scored the first six points of the game, but the Spartans answered with a 9-0 run to snatch a 9-6 edge 4:12 into the contest. A later 7-0 WP spurt, including five points from Smith, allowed the visitors to get back into the lead (17-13, 11:28), and the Pioneers took a 37-32 advantage into the break.
William Paterson once again started the half hot, scoring the first six tallies of the second period (43-32, 18:04) to ignite a 12-3 run that gave the Pioneers their largest lead of the game at 49-35 with 15:21 on the clock. When York made it a three-point game (51-48, 10:40), WP responded with a Smith three-point play (54-48, 10:14), followed by a Smith layup (56-48, 8:21), a Jeter jumper (58-48, 7:10), a Borova fast-break bucket (60-48, 6:12) and a pair of Lucas free throws (62-48, 5:13). During a 5:43 scoreless span, the Spartans were 0-for-4 from the floor with five turnovers.
The two teams shot nearly identical field-goal percentages, but 26 York turnovers allowed WP a 29-11 edge in points scored off the miscues and a 14-2 advantage in transition.
Brittany Hicks had 17 points and seven rebounds, Kristen Haley contributed 16 tallies and 11 rebounds, and April Sparkman added 15 points and 10 boards for the Spartans.
William Paterson will play at Montclair State Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 6:00 p.m.
