JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Justina Cabezas' (Carlstadt, N.J./Becton Regional) double-double led four Pioneers in double figures, but William Paterson women's basketball fell to New Jersey City in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament quarterfinal, 68-60, March 5.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Despite hitting just 1-of-16 of its first-quarter attempts from the field, WP managed to hold the NJAC's second-highest scoring offense to only five first-quarter field goals and trailed 10-6 after one quarter.
• Backed by four points apiece from Cabezas and Yakira Rosa (Dumont, N.J./Dumont), the Pioneers opened the second stanza on a 10-2 run and held a 16-12 advantage with 6:27 left in the half. Seven consecutive points from the Gothic Knights pushed the hosts in front, but Autumn Webster's (Paterson, N.J./Immaculate Conception ) timely three-pointer tied things up at 21-21.  Knotted-up a 23-23, Rosa sank back-to-back jumpers as the Pioneers clung to a four-point edge, but NJCU registered the final five tallies of the half and heading into the locker room with a 28-27 lead.
• After Brianna Smith's (Hillsdale, N.J./Pascack Valley) three-point play leveled the score at 32-32, NJCU's Nahjeemah Holmes drained a jumper began a 9-2 burst that resulted in a seven-point New Jersey City edge, 41-34.
• The Gothic Knights would push the lead to 11 (51-40, 9:14) early in the fourth following a Damaris Rodriguez trifecta. The advantage remained 11, 63-52, with 3:50 to play, before six straight tallied from Smith made it a five-point affair (63-58).  However NJCU iced the game by sinking five from the charity stripe in the final minutes to come away with the 68-60 decision.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Cabezas concluded her evening with a double-double of 14 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.
• Rosa finished with 13 tallies to go along with four rebounds and three steals.
• Smith added 12 points and handed out a team-high five dimes, while Brianna Brooks (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook) chipped-in 10 points and six boards in 40 minutes of work.

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