MAHWAH, N.J. – The No. 24/18 William Paterson women's basketball team (24-1, 18-0 NJAC) made history after defeating Ramapo (8-17, 3-15 NJAC), 80-41, on the road Feb. 18, setting the program record for the most New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) wins in a single season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• WP jumped out to a 22-4 advantage after the first quarter of play with six different Pioneers getting in the scoring column.  
• The Pioneers went into halftime leading by 22 (39-17) before a trey by senior Renee Wells (Leonardo, N.J./Middletown South) and a layup by junior Mattison Chiera (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) to open the third frame pushed the advantage to 27 with 9:03 on the clock.
• WP maintained its large double-digit lead the rest of the way en route to capturing the 80-41 conference road win to wrap up the regular season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Senior Luna Kirby (Leola, Pa./Linden Hall School for Girls) shot 6-of-8 (.750) from the field and 2-of-3 (.667) from deep for a game-high 14 points to pair with four rebounds.
• Wells poured in 13 points with three rebounds and two assists.
• Sophomore Leilani Pinder (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) tied her career-best scoring mark of 12 points after knocking down 5-of-7 (.714) shots from the field and a pair of treys.
• Junior Jada Jacobs (Mount Laurel, N.J./Medford Tech) was a perfect 4-for-4 (1.000) from the floor, finishing with 10 points and a team-high eight boards, five assists and four steals.
• Senior Patty Walsh (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) reeled in seven rebounds while adding six points and three blocks.
• WP shot a season-best 54 percent (36-of-67) from the field as a team.
• The Pioneers broke the program record for single-season NJAC wins (18).
• It marks the first time in program history that WP finished undefeated in conference play.
• The Pioneers are the first NJAC team to go undefeated during the conference slate since Montclair State compiled a 16-0 record during the 2012-13 campaign, and the first to win 18 games since The College of New Jersey went 18-0 during the 2000-01 season.
• WP tied the program record for the most wins during the regular season (24), tying the 2009-10 team that went 24-1.
• WP extended its win streak to 14, the longest in program history since the 2009-10 season.
• The Pioneers are ranked 18th in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Poll and 24th in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll.

UP NEXT:

• William Paterson will host the quarterfinal round winner of fourth-seeded Stockton and fifth-seeded Montclair State Feb. 24 in the semifinals of the NJAC Tournament at 7:00 p.m.

 
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