WAYNE, N.J. – Junior guard
Domenic Mignone (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) scored a team-high 20 points, but William Paterson men's basketball (9-11, 5-8 NJAC) could not overcome a large second half deficit, falling to New Jersey Athletic Conference front runner Stockton (13-7, 10-3 NJAC), 86-79, Feb. 1.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- In an evenly-matched first half, neither team was able to build more than a five-point lead as the Pioneers and Ospreys entered intermission deadlocked at 31-31.
- Trailing 48-41, WP got back-to-back three-pointers from seniors Sean Smith (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo) and Hershell Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Timber Creek) to cut its deficit to one point (48-47) midway through the stanza. Stockton would respond with a 15-4 run that span four minutes to build its largest lead of the game, 63-51. A 6-0 Pioneer burst, capped off by a fastbreak layup from Mignone, made it a two possession contest, 75-69, with 3:34 remaining, but, Stockton would connect on nine free throws down the stretch to prevail 86-79.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Mignone has now scored 20+ points in three of the last four contests.
- Smith finished a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe and ended with 14 tallies, while junior forward Malcolm McLeod (Teaneck, N.J./DePaul Catholic) contributed 13.
UP NEXT:
- WP visits Rutgers-Newark Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 8:00 p.m.
FOLLOW THE PIONEERS: