CAMDEN, N.J. – Down by as many as 16 points late in the first half, the William Paterson women's basketball team (3-4, 1-2 NJAC) watched a potential game-tying half-court shot hit the rim as Rutgers-Camden (5-2, 2-1 NJAC) escaped with a 75-72 conference victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After Brianna Brooks' (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook) jumper that gave the visiting Pioneers a 17-15 lead midway through the first quarter, William Paterson's shooting woes began. Over the next 8:49, WP would knock down just 2-of-11 (.182) field-goal attempts as Rutgers-Camden used a 24-6 burst to open up a 16-point cushion (39-23). WP closed out the half on a 6-1 and trailed 40-29 at the break.  
• Following intermission, four quick points by Vianca Soriano (New Milford, N.J./New Milford) got the Pioneers within single digits, but clutch shooting by the Scarlet Raptors kept it a nine-point game (55-46) entering the final 10 minutes.
• At the 2:15 in the fourth, Brooks took a Julie Rovito (Ridgefield Park, N.J./Ridgefield Park) pass and drained a mid-range jumper to tie the game 65-65. RUC regained the lead as the home team connected on four-straight free throws after WP was hit with a technical foul. With RUC ahead 75-72, the Scarlet Raptors missed the ensuing free throw, but Alisa Giordano's (Wood-Ridge, N.J./Wood-Ridge) half-court heave hit the rim and RUC came away with the victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Soriano posted her second double-double of the week by pouring in 28 points and 15 boards. She also led all players with six steals and three blocks.
• Seniors CeCe Green (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) and Rovito joined Soriano in double-figure scoring, adding 13 and 12, respectively.
• The Pioneers missed all 12 of their attempts from beyond the arc and knocked down just 12-of-27 (.444) from the charity stripe.

UP NEXT:

• WP continues its conference road swing with a visit to Rutgers-Newark on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 6:00 p.m.

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