MADISON, N.J. – Four Pioneers were in double figures in scoring as the William Paterson men's basketball team (7-2) registered an 81-72 victory at FDU-Florham (1-8) Dec. 12.
 
Junior forward Terik Bridgeman (Harlem, N.Y./Nia Prep) had team bests of 18 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Galen Smith (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway Tech) scored a season-best 15 tallies. Senior guard Sandy Burgos (Fort Lee, N.J./Fort Lee) finished with 14 points, and senior guard Jaques Conceicao (Massama-Lisboa, Portugal/Francais Charle Lepierre) collected 13 tallies, six boards and four assists.
 
WP scored 10 of the game's first 12 points, shooting 56.7 (17-30) percent from the field en route to a 47-34 halftime lead.  
 
William Paterson was ahead by a 72-62 count with 5:30 to play when the Devils answered with a 7-1 burst, making it a two-possession game at 73-69 with 2:28 left. Conceicao hit a layup, but FDU-Florham drained a three-pointer, cutting the lead to three (75-72, 1:20). Bridgeman converted a layup during the Pioneers' next possession, and following a Devil miss, Burgos went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line (79-72, 0:33), then hit two more from the stripe 13 seconds later following another FDU-Florham miss.
 
Steve Herdman and Kevin Furlong led the Devils with 17 points apiece.
 
William Paterson will face Penn State Behrend Sunday, Dec. 28, at 1:00 p.m. in the first round of Staten Island's Tournament of Heroes.
 
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