NEWARK, N.J. – No. 17 William Paterson (20-3, 10-2 NJAC) recorded its 20th win of the season and wrapped up the top spot in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Men's Basketball North Division standings, holding off a late Rutgers-Newark (13-10, 6-5 NJAC) surge for a 57-55 victory Feb. 8.
William Paterson will receive a first-round bye for the NJAC Tournament and will host a semifinal game Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7:00 p.m.
Junior guard Corey Chandler (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side) poured in 27 points on 11-for-21 (.524) shooting, adding seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Classmate Rick DeStefano (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) had seven tallies and freshman guard Jaques Conceicao (Massama-Lisboa, Portugal/Francais Charle Lepierre) collected a game-best 10 rebounds. The Pioneers were playing without leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Lance Brown (Teaneck, N.J./Paterson Catholic) for the second straight game.
WP jumped out to a 26-16 lead less than 13 minutes into the contest, but an 8-1 Scarlet Raider run to end the half left the two teams deadlocked at 33-33. Jeremiah Rivers scored the first two points of the second period with a pair of free throws (35-33, 19:40), but that was the last time that Rutgers-Newark led on the scoreboard. The margin varied from a six-point Pioneer advantage to a pair of ties over the next 13 minutes until three consecutive buckets by Chandler handed William Paterson a 55-48 edge with 4:22 to play, only to see a pair of treys and a free throw by Rutgers-Newark that forged a 55-55 tie with 2:04 remaining.
A WP turnover and a Rutgers-Newark miss gave the Pioneers the ball, and Thomas Goubadia (Union, N.J./Union) was able to put back a Conceicao misfire to push William Paterson ahead, 57-55, with 42 seconds to play.
Chandler stole the ball from Rivers to end the next possession. Chandler was later fouled, but missed the front end of a one-and-one with 10 seconds left. The Scarlet Raiders had one final chance, but Pedro Burgos' final-second attempt from beyond the arc was no good.
WP out-rebounded Rutgers-Newark, 44-27, and shot 44.4 (24-54) percent from the field compared to the Scarlet Raiders' 34.5 (20-58) percent effort. The Pioneers registered their third 20-win season in the last four years and their 13th in program history.
Burgos and Christian Garcia each scored 11 points for Rutgers-Newark. Rivers posted 10 tallies and seven rebounds.
William Paterson will host New Jersey City Saturday, Feb. 11, at 1:00 p.m.