NEWARK, N.J..- The ninth-seeded William Paterson men's basketball team (15-13) suffered a 56-53 loss, in a defensive battle at second-seeded Rutgers-Newark (20-9, 13-5 NJAC) in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament championship game Mar.6.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A three pointer from senior guard Nick Rodriguez (Redding, Calif./Shasta) gave WP a 17-10 lead at the 9:40 mark of the first half.
• Freshman guard Neftali Valentin (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) gave the Pioneers its largest lead of the game at 13, entering halftime up 34-21.
• Rutgers-Newark began the second-half on a 13-2 run, cutting the deficit to two (36-34) at the 10:45 mark of the half.
• The Scarlet Raiders offense stayed hot, holding a 52-43 lead with 2:11 left to play.
• A quick 10-0 run from WP gave them life, taking a 53-52 lead with 1:07 remaining.
• A made jumper from Rutgers-Newark put them up two (55-53) with 16 seconds left.
• A turnover on the next possession from WP secured the win for the Scarlet Raiders.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Junior forward Michael Gilmore (Teaneck, N.J./Pine Forge Academy) finished with seven points and four rebounds.
• Freshman forward Caesar Silvestro (Ridgewood, N.J,/Pascack Hills) added a team-high eight points.

FOLLOW THE PIONEERS:

• www.wpupioneers.com/socialmedia