Mahwah, NJ:  The Ramapo College women's basketball team fell to the Pioneers of William Paterson, 70-54 tonight in their 2017-2018 New Jersey Athletic Conference season opener at the Bradley Center.  With the loss the Roadrunners fall to .500 at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.  William Paterson improves to 3-1 overall and gets their first conference win to open the year at 1-0.
 
Julie Rovito led the Pioneers as she shot 6-8 from the floor, including a perfect 2-2 from behind the three-point arc for 14 points.  Tori Woetzel collected 12 points and Sihana Asani added nine as the team shot a combined 27-57 (47%) in the win.  Ashley Castillo dished out six assists and Woetzel led with nine rebounds as Castillo grabbed three steals.
 
With 1:56 to go in the first quarter the Roadrunners would lead 12-9 after two free throws from Jenna Harsh, but with back-to-back threes from Woetzel and Danica DeFrank, the Pioneers would jump ahead 15-12 at the buzzer.  William Paterson would work to a double-digit lead in the second quarter, their biggest lead of 14 coming off a three from DeFrank with 3:10 on the clock to go ahead 35-21.  Ramapo would close out the quarter with a 10-4 run to close the gap to 39-31 at the halftime buzzer. 
 
The Pioneers would come out quickly to start the third quarter with a long shot from Roviot and a two from CeCe Green to lead 44-31, but the Roadrunners would slowly chip away, closing the quarter on an 8-3 run capped with a jumper from Harsh to end the third trailing 47-53.  A jump shot from Jessica Repasy at the start of the fourth would bring Ramapo within four, 53-49, but the Pioneers did not sit back working to a 19-point advantage, their biggest of the game with 00:43 on the clock and a free throw from Asani.  The Pioneers would finish on top taking the conference match-up, 70-54.
 
Harsh led the Roadrunners with 11 points and Repasy added ten as the team went 18-54 (33%) from the floor.  Bridgette Buckalew and Samantha Rinaldi each dished out three assists. Buckalew grabbed three steals and Alie Wickersheim blocked four shots. 
 
The Roadrunners return to action on Sunday, November 26th when they travel to Manhattanville for a 1pm tip on the road.