WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson men's basketball team came up short in a defensive battle with New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Kean University, 63-60, inside the William Paterson Recreation Center Jan. 10.
 
The two teams shot a combined 34 percent from the field, but were both impressive from the free throw line. Kean was a perfect 19-of-19 from the charity stripe, while the Pioneers knocked down 11-of-14 (.786) attempts.
 
Senior Richy Espinal (Ridgefield Park, N.J./Ridgefield Park) led the Pioneers with 13 points and nine rebounds, while junior Peter Martinez (Stockton, Calif./Dublin) chipped in 11 points. Junior Saint Simeon Beaubrun (Irvington, N.J./Columbia) hauled in a season-best nine rebounds, and freshman Nasir Fields (Winslow Twp., N.J./Winslow Twp.) contributed four points in just two minutes off the bench. Stephen Strom led the Cougars with a game-high 19 points.
 
With the score tied 14-14 at the 10:39 mark of the first half, the Pioneers scored 13 of the next 18 points to take a 25-19 lead late in the half. The lead would eventually stretch to 10 points (31-21), when Martinez knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, but a late three by Adrian Baucum made it 33-28 at the halftime break.
 
The Cougars leveled the scoring with two three-pointers by DeAndre Thomas and Justin Watson, and later used a 6-0 spurt to take a 51-46 lead with 4:25 to play. After the Orange and Black made it a one-point game (55-54), Kean again rattled off six unanswered to put the game out of reach. After a three-pointer by sophomore Sean Smith (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo) cut the deficit to four points in the final minute, freshman Domenic Mignone (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) intercepted the ensuing inbounds pass but his three-point attempt came up short. Mignone eventually knocked down a triple just before the final horn, but it was too little, too late as the Cougars held on for a narrow three-point victory.
 
The Pioneers will look to get back on track when they round out the first rotation of NJAC play this Saturday, Jan. 13, on the road at Rutgers-Camden with tip-off slated for 3:00 p.m.
 
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