Thursday, January 13, 2011 (Women's Basketball)

PIONEERS OUTSCORE NJCU 48-21 IN SECOND HALF, WIN 70-42

JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University gave #23 ranked William Paterson University all it could handle in the first half when the Pioneers led by just one. But for the second straight game the Gothic Knights struggled to find points in the second half as WPU outscored NJCU, 48-21 in the period, and overcame the Knights, 70-42, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference North Division women's basketball game on Thursday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on "Coach Charlie Brown Court."

The Pioneers (13-2, 4-1 NJAC), ranked No. 23 in Division III by both D3hoops.com and the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll, extend their winning streak to six in a row and defeat the Gothic Knights (2-11, 0-4 NJAC, lost five) for the 17^th consecutive meeting since the 2001-02 season. WPU leads the all-time series, 49-9.

Junior forward April Smith (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional), the NJAC leader in scoring and rebounding, had game highs in each category. She had 21 of her 25 points and 14 of her 16 rebounds in the second half as WPU shot 54.1 percent in the period (20-37). Smith recorded her 11^th double-double of the season—the second most in Division III this season. She added three steals in 30 minutes and shot 11-of-20. Her 21 second half points matched the output of the entire NJCU squad.

Also for WPU, freshman guard Floriana Borova (Cresskill, NJ/Cresskill), who did not play in the first half, scored 12 points (4-8 FG) with three assists in 13 minutes. Sophomore guard Lindsey Callander (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville) had eight points (4-7 FG).

Junior guard BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham)—the NJAC leader in assists and second leading scorer at 18.4 per game, was limited to six points in 29 minutes on 2-of-8 shooting, but she registered game-highs of six assists and five steals.

For NJCU, senior guard CAROLINA GARCIA (Plainfield, NJ/Franklin) scored NJCU's first six points and had 10 at the half (4-8), before finishing with a team-high 15 points (6-16 FG). Sophomore guard GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) played 39 minutes in her second game since transferring to NJCU, finishing with 11 points and four assists.

Garcia and Rivera accounted for 17 of NJCU's 21 in the first period when NJCU outshot WPU—32.0 percent (8-25) to 28.1 percent (9-32). The Pioneers struggled in all facets of shooting in the opening 20 minutes—3-of-9 from the line (.333) and 1-of-7 from three-point range (.143). The Pioneers led by seven twice in the first half before a three by Rivera made it 17-15.

WPU, which led 19-15 with 8:12 left in the half, only scored three points the remainder of the period, shooting 1-of-13 from the field. But NJCU could not capitalize and despite drawing within one point, never was able to take the lead.

WPU responded out of the intermission, scoring 15 of the first 19 points. NJCU kept it close early in the period as Garcia made it 24-23 and sophomore point guard NIDIA CARMONA (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) added a jumper for a 26-25 deficit with 16:27 to go.

 But from there, the Pioneers dominated, running off 13 consecutive points for a 39-25, as Smith and Callander scored four points each. The Pioneers expanded the streak to a 29-3 run and seized a 55-28 lead with 8:46 left. Only a three-pointer by Garcia at the 12:51 mark fell as NJCU attempted just seven shots (1-7) during an 8:39 streak in the middle of the period, during which the Knights committed nine turnovers. Smith scored 14 of the 29 points for WPU during the tear. The Pioneers' largest lead was 35, 67-32, at the 4:00 mark of the half on a putback by Smith, which was her 25^th point of the night.

WPU finished shooting 42.0 percent overall (29-69) and had a 46-14 advantage in the paint. The visitors outscored NJCU off turnovers, 30-12, 28-5 from its bench players and 14-0 on the fast break. NJCU shot 16-of-57 overall (.281).

NJCU is back in action on Saturday, January 15 at 2 p.m. when it hosts Richard Stockton College in an NJAC game. WPU visits The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ that day at 1 p.m.

—www.njcugothicknights.com—