Box Score (William Paterson vs. Keuka)
Box Score (Colby vs. Stevens -- game story below)

WAYNE, N.J. – Junior forward April Smith (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) scored her 1,000th career point as No. 17/19 William Paterson (25-3) cruised past Keuka (24-3) for an 81-47 victory in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship March 4 at the William Paterson University Recreation Center.

The Pioneers advance to the second round Saturday, March 5, at 6:00 p.m. at the Rec Center, and will play Colby (22-5), a 58-48 winner against Stevens (21-7) in the other-first round contest played in Wayne.

William Paterson wasted no time in seizing control of the contest, using three-pointers by junior BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) and freshman Floriana Borova (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) during its first two possessions, followed by a Smith follow of a teammate's miss for her milestone points, for an early 8-2 edge just 1:26 into the game. When senior Jessica Fink converted a three-pointer to pull Keuka to within three at 15-12 at the 12:54 mark, the Pioneers answered by scoring 21 of the next 25 points, blowing the game open to build a commanding 36-16 advantage with 6:46 remaining before halftime. The Storm were 2-for-5 (.400) from the field with four turnovers during the run, while the Pioneers connected on six of nine (.667) attempts, including five of seven (.714) from beyond the arc.

William Paterson entered the locker room with a comfortable 49-27 lead, turning the ball over just four times while shooting 9-for-21 (.429) from long range and 17-for-38 (.447) overall during the opening stanza. Borova led the way during the first 20 minutes for the Pioneers with 13 tallies, while Smith had 11 points and nine rebounds.

It was a 41-point game by the 6:52 mark of the second half (77-36), despite William Paterson's reserves seeing the majority of playing time.

Borova, the current New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Rookie of the Week, finished with a game-best 22 points on 7-for-15 (.467) shooting overall and a 4-for-10 (.400) effort from three-point range. In addition to becoming the 20th member of William Paterson's 1,000-point club, Smith collected her 19th double-double of the season with 15 tallies and a game-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Lindsey Callander (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) was 4-for-6 (.667) from beyond the arc for 14 points, NJAC Co-Player and Defensive Player of the Year Lucas had 10 points, six assists and three steals, and sophomore forward Tatiana Javis (Newark, N.J./ Bloomfield Tech) added six tallies and seven boards in 21 minutes off the bench.

Freshman guard Jessica Bandrowski paced Keuka with 11 points, classmate Casey Chamberlain had seven tallies, and senior forward Nadia Madmoune chipped in four points to go along with her team-high five rebounds.

William Paterson dominated on the glass (55-32 overall, 23-7 offensive) to create a 21-2 advantage in second-chance points. The NJAC Tournament champions also turned the ball over just 10 times and limited the Storm to a 29.4 (15-51) percent shooting to earn their eighth straight victory.


Colby Gets Past Stevens, 58-48

WAYNE, N.J. – Colby (22-5) held Stevens (21-7) without a field goal for almost 13 minutes, outscoring the Ducks 28-4 during that span to earn a 58-48 victory in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship March 4 at the William Paterson University Recreation Center.

Both teams experienced some early jitters, combining for 30 turnovers and just 12 field goals made during the game's first 20 minutes. Six lead changes and three ties marked the first half, with neither team owning more than a six-point edge until the last minute. Junior guard Aarika Ritchie drained a pair of free throws to expand Colby's lead from three to five (23-18) with 1:59 left before the break, and two three-pointers on back-to-back Mule possessions during the final minute by sophomore Diana Manduca and senior Karlyn Adler opened things up and handed Colby a 29-18 halftime lead. Stevens was 4-for-18 (.222) from the floor while the Mules were 8-for-20 (.400) during the opening period, and Colby held a slight 14-16 advantage in turnovers. Colby finished the half with a 20-3 run as Stevens' last field goal of the period came at the 8:24 mark, a Molly Spadaro three-pointer that gave the Ducks a 15-9 edge.

Four straight points by sophomore guard Jacky McLaughlin and a Rachael Mack layup helped Colby open up a 37-18 lead 2:59 into the second half before Stevens' Lisa Tessitore ended the Ducks' field-goal drought with a jumper at the 16:10 mark (37-21). Stevens was undeterred by the lack of offensive production, using the bucket to get started and eventually produce a 12-4 spurt that ended with a Dawn Garcia three-pointer, making it a 43-33 game with 10:50 to play.

Stevens got as close as nine when junior guard/forward Victoria Webber completed an old-fashioned three-point play (47-38, 4:04), and again at 49-40 a minute later, but Colby was able to thwart any final push by the Ducks down the stretch.

Manduca paced the Mules with 13 points, three assists and four steals. Ritchie had 12 tallies and seven rebounds, and Mack posted nine points and a game-best 12 boards. Colby finished with a 39.6 (19-48) percent field-goal percentage while limiting the Ducks to 13-for-43 (.302) shooting.

Webber led Stevens with 16 points, 10 coming at the free-throw line. Senior center Victoria O'Connor added eight tallies off the bench.