Box Score
ANNVILLE, PA. – No. 17/19 William Paterson (26-4) cut the Dutchmen's lead to one eight minutes into the second period, but host No. 16/17 Lebanon Valley (28-2) scored the next seven points and pulled away for an 83-61 victory in the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Sweet Sixteen March 11 in Annville, Pa.
The champions of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament, William Paterson saw its season end with a program-record 26 victories, reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1998 (1995, 1997, 1998, 2011). The NJAC Co-Player and Defensive Player of the Year, junior
BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) led the Pioneers with 19 points against Lebanon Valley. Classmate
April Smith (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) added 12 tallies and eight rebounds.
Trailing 33-25 at halftime, the Pioneers quickly made it a two-point game at 35-33 after sophomore
Lindsey Callander (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) nailed a three-pointer from the left corner at the 17:35 mark, capping an 8-2 run, but Lebanon Valley jump started a 10-5 spurt with back-to-back buckets from Renee Fritz, eventually building a 45-38 advantage with 14:16 on the clock.
Smith converted on a drive to the basket (45-40, 12:59), followed by two straight fast-break layups by Lucas to make it a 45-44 game with 12:02 to play. Tierney Hiltz hit a floater on the baseline, Caitlin Bach converted a drive in the lane and Suzie Noyes drained a three-pointer from the left corner, giving the Dutchmen some breathing room at 52-44 (10:16). Smith's putback briefly made it a two-possession game (52-46, 9:20), but Lebanon Valley scored the next 13 points during a three-minute span, firmly taking control at 65-46 with 6:15 remaining.
Andrea Hoover led Lebanon Valley with 25 points and nine assists, adding nine rebounds. Fritz had 21 tallies and 11 rebounds, and Noyes posted 13 points and five assists. LVC shot 50.0 (32-64) percent compared to William Paterson's 34.3 (24-70) percent effort, and the Dutchmen out-rebounded the Pioneers by a 52-30 count. WP turned it over just five times, but was cold from beyond the arc (7-28, .250).
The Pioneers got off to a slow start in the contest, trailing by as many as 11 (21-10) at the 11:59 mark. William Paterson responded by scoring the next eight points, a trey by Lucas from the right corner, a Lucas layup and a
Kristine Jackiewicz (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) three-pointer off glass, to make it a 21-18 contest with 8:40 on the clock. The Dutchmen responded with a three of their own by Hoover, and a Fritz transition bucket eventually stretched Lebanon Valley's lead to eight at 28-20 with 6:19 remaining before the break.
A steal by Callander led to a Lucas fast-break layup, pulling the Pioneers within five at 30-25 with 2:52 to play, but a Hoover layup and free throw again made it an eight-point margin (33-25), a score that would remain the same at halftime after Lucas' 40-footer rattled around the rim and out at the buzzer.
William Paterson shot just 32.3 (10-31) percent from the floor during the first half, including a 4-for-19 (.211) effort from behind the arc. The Pioneers turned it over twice in 20 minutes, but were out-rebounded by the Dutchmen by a 28-12 margin. Lebanon Valley converted on 15 of its 33 (.455) attempts.
