BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Junior guard/forward Lance Brown (Teaneck, N.J./Paterson Catholic) collected his 11th double-double of the season with 25 points and 14 rebounds as No. 20 William Paterson (17-3) held off a late rally for an 80-72 victory at Brooklyn (12-7) in a non-conference men's basketball clash Jan. 30.
The Pioneers' lead grew to as many as 13 at 67-54 with 7:45 to play, but the Bulldogs began to fight back, eventually making it a two-possession game at 75-69 with 1:50 on the clock.
Freshman James McLane (Belleville, N.J./Queen of Peace) missed a pair at the free-throw line before his 1-for-2 effort made it a 76-69 score with 54 seconds remaining. Wade Kornegay sank a three-pointer during Brooklyn's next possession (76-72, 0:50), but when the Bulldogs fouled junior guard Rick DeStefano (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) with 26 seconds left, the 89.3 percent free-throw shooter sank a pair from the stripe for a 78-72 WP lead. Brown pulled down a Brooklyn miss from beyond the arc, and his two free throws finished the scoring with 16 seconds to play.
DeStefano finished with 13 points, while Pioneer leading scorer Corey Chandler (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side) had eight tallies before fouling out midway through the second half. Sophomore Femi Agunbiade (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia) contributed 10 points, junior Julio Rosario (Perth Amboy, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) posted nine points and senior Nolan Hill (Edgewater, N.J./Bergen Catholic) notched six tallies and eight boards. Freshman Najea Brown (Newark, N.J./St. Anthony) dished out a game-best six assists.
Tyshawn Russell scored 24 points, 18 from the charity stripe, to lead Brooklyn. Keiran Halton added 14 tallies and Kavon Baker had 13.
William Paterson will host Montclair State in a key league clash Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 8:00 p.m.