WAYNE, N.J. – A dominant second quarter helped the William Paterson women's basketball team (9-0, 5-0 NJAC) win its ninth straight game, pulling away from visiting Rowan (6-3, 3-2 NJAC) for a 76-44 victory Dec. 13.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Profs had the better of the early play, scoring 10 of the game's first 15 points to carry an 18-14 advantage into the second quarter.
- Two Rowan free throws (20-14, 9:03) made it a six-point game, but that ended up being the Profs' largest lead of the day, as senior forward Renee Wells (Leonardo, N.J./Middletown South) ignited a 17-3 run with a three-pointer, resulting in a 31-23 Pioneer edge with 3:02 on the clock. WP made nine of 15 (.600) field goals during the second period and held Rowan to a 2-for-12 (.167) effort during the same stretch, outscoring their opponent 23-9 overall during the quarter for a 37-27 lead at the break.
- William Paterson blew the game open with a hot start to the third, firing 5-for-7 (.714) from the floor during a 13-2 burst for a 50-29 score with 5:23 on the clock. The Pioneers' advantage never dipped below 20 for the remainder of the contest.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- junior guard Jada Jacobs (Mount Laurel, N.J./Medford Tech) paced the Pioneers with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists, shooting an efficient 6-for-11 (.545) overall and 3-for-4 (.750) from three-point range.
- Senior forward Patty Walsh (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) collected 14 tallies, five boards and three blocked shots, while Wells added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists.
- Senior guard Luna Kirby (Leola, Pa./Linden Hall School for Girls) scored a career-best 10 points during 11 minutes of action.
- WP enjoyed a 21-8 advantage in points scored off turnovers and a 32-16 edge in points in the paint.
- The Pioneers are off to their best start to a season since the 2011-12 campaign when WP was 15-0 on its way to a 26-3 overall record, conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament second-round appearance.
- William Paterson received votes in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Poll.
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson hosts Marywood Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 5:30 p.m.
FOLLOW THE PIONEERS: