Montclair, NJ – Senior guard Sandy Burgos (Fort Lee, NJ / Fort Lee) drained a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining for the go-ahead score as No. 25 William Paterson recorded the final 13 points stunning Montclair State 70-67 at the Panzer Athletic Center on Wednesday evening.

Junior Terik Bridgeman (Harlem, NY / Nia Prep), who finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, hit the final two free throws as the Pioneers rallied from 10 points down in the final 97 seconds. The Pioneers improved to 17-3 overall, 11-2 in the NJAC with the win as they swept the season series with the Red Hawks.

Freshman guard Lavrone Green (Teaneck, NJ / Teaneck) had 23 points for MSU (5-14, 2-11 NJAC), which led 67-57 with 1:37 left before suffering its sixth straight defeat.

The Pioneers, who trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half, appeared headed for a second consecutive loss after MSU's Shaun Russell (Brooklyn, NY / Willingboro) converted a three-point play for the 10-point lead. Burgos, who made just three field goals in the game, connected from short range with 1:27 left cutting the lead to eight. The Red Hawks missed a layup at the other end and Bright Mensah (Hackensack, NJ / Hackensack) was fouled. He hit both free throws making the score 67-61 with 1:17 to go.

Montclair turned the ball over on its next possession and the Pioneers capitalized on that as Bridgeman drilled a three-pointer from the right side with 50 ticks pulling William Paterson within 67-64. Again the Red Hawks turned the ball over and Burgos was fouled with 46 seconds. He made both attempts for a 67-66 MSU lead.

Bridgeman came up with a huge rebound off a block with 20 seconds left giving William Paterson the ball. After moving the ball around, Manny Hernandez (Paterson, NJ / Paramus Catholic) found Burgos at the top of the key behind the arc. Burgos flipped a shot straight through the net giving the Pioneers their first lead since the 10:03 mark of the first half.

MSU would get one last chance however Erick Loften-Harris' (Union, NJ / Union) floater in the lane with two seconds fell short. Bridgeman got the rebound, was fouled and hit both from the line for the final margin.

Russell, who collected 18 points off the bench, gave the Red Hawks a 13-12 lead with 9:40 to go as he connected from behind the arc. Montclair would hold on to that lead and was up 24-21 at the break.

In the second half a three by Green pushed the lead to 34-25 and Green's steal with 13:35 left led to a Loften-Harris layup as Montclair led 43-32. The Pioneers chipped away at the deficit and got within 59-56 on a Bridgeman three with 3:36 left. Floyd Melvin (South Orange, NJ / Columbia) countered with a layup and a Chris Torres (Oakland, NJ / Indian Hills) jumper with 2:16 gave MSU a 64-56 lead with 2:16 remaining.

Burgos finished with 11 points while Mensah had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Pioneers. Jacques Canceicao (Massama-Lisboa, Portugal / Francais Charle Lepierre) grabbed six boards for William Paterson which outrebounded MSU 43-26, including 20-6 on the offensive glass.

Loften-Harris totaled 13 points, four rebounds and five assists for the Red Hawks while Green, who registered four steals, shot 8-of-15 from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. Devyn Ransom (Jersey City, NJ / Marist) had seven points and six rebounds.

Both teams return to action on Saturday with conference contests. Montclair State begins a grueling stretch of five games in eight days as it travels to Camden, NJ to face Rutgers-Camden at 3:00 pm. William Paterson is home for a 1:00 pm tilt with Rutgers-Newark at the WPU Rec Center.