BALTIMORE – The No. RV/19 William Paterson women's basketball team's (25-3, 18-0 NJAC) historic 2025-26 campaign came to a close in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament after falling, 75-51, to No. 13/10 Baldwin Wallace (25-3, 16-0 OAC) March 6 at Johns Hopkins University.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Senior Renee Wells (Leonardo, N.J./Middletown South) was red hot to start the game, shooting 4-for-5 (.800) from the field to give the Pioneers a 9-7 advantage with 6:12 on the clock in the first quarter.
- However, Baldwin Wallace closed out the frame on a 13-4 run to go ahead by seven (20-13).
- The Yellow Jackets extended their advantage to double figures (35-20) after scoring six unanswered points over the first 1:56 of the second half.
- WP trimmed the deficit to seven (35-28) following an 8-0 run with 6:21 remaining in the third quarter.
- Baldwin Wallace regained its double-digit lead before going on to secure the 75-51 NCAA Tournament victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Wells finished with a game-high 28 points, adding four rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.
- Junior Mattison Chiera (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) logged seven points and four boards.
- Junior Jada Jacobs (Mount Laurel, N.J./Medford Tech) had six points, five boards and three steals.
- William Paterson finished with a 25-3 overall record, the most wins since the 2011-12 team recorded 26 victories.
- The Pioneers made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2012-13 campaign.
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