MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Senior guard Bright Mensah (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) scored a career-best 33 points as the William Paterson men's basketball team (5-4, 1-3 NJAC) held off Montclair State (4-3, 2-3 NJAC) for a 78-74 victory Dec. 9.
Trailing 21-19 with 7:29 remaining in the first half, junior forward Richy Espinal (Ridgefield Park, N.J./Ridgefield Park) ignited a 12-1 burst with his three-point play, and three-pointers from senior guard Manny Hernandez (Paterson, N.J./Paramus Catholic), junior guard Zach Frick (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) and Mensah handed WP a 31-22 advantage with 4:18 on the clock. The Pioneers carried a 38-29 lead into the locker room.
William Paterson owned a 64-54 advantage with 7:06 to play, but the Red Hawks rallied to score the game's next nine points (64-63, 3:46), and after the two teams traded buckets, MSU junior guard Shaun Russell leveled the score at 67-67 with a pair of free throws at the 2:01 mark.
Espinal followed with a trey with 49 seconds left, and following a MSU turnover, junior guard Dapo Badmos (Toronto, Canada/The Kiski School) sank a pair of free throws for a 72-67 score at the 0:38 mark.
Two missed Red Hawk free throws and a turnover led to a 2-for-2 trip to the charity stripe by junior guard Galen Smith (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway Tech) for a 74-67 advantage with 29 seconds to play, and WP made all four of its free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
Mensah was 12-for-21 (.571) for his 33 points, and Espinal added 12 tallies to his team bests of five rebounds and three assists. Frick chipped in 11 points.
Junior guard Erick Lofton-Harris led six Red Hawks in double figures with 18 points. Freshman forward Jordan Roberson collected 13 tallies and 15 rebounds.
The Pioneers committed just six turnovers while forcing 16, building a 24-10 scoring advantage off the miscues.
William Paterson will host FDU-Florham Saturday, Dec. 12, at 1:00 p.m.
For all of the latest information on the Pioneers, visit http://www.wpupioneers.com and http://www.wpupioneers.com/socialmedia.