Wednesday, February 9, 2011 (Women's Basketball)

#23/24 WILLIAM PATERSON SWEEPS SEASON SERIES FROM NJCU, 80-41

WAYNE, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | William Paterson University, ranked in the Top 25 in two national polls, opened a 45-22 lead at halftime and swept the season series from the New Jersey City University women's basketball team with an 80-41 New Jersey Athletic Conference North Division victory on Wednesday night at the WPU Rec Center.

The Pioneers, ranked No. 23 in Division III in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll and 24^th by D3hoops.com, improved to 20-3 overall and 9-2 in the NJAC. WPU leads the all-time series against NJCU (5-17, 0-10 NJAC), 50-9, and has won the last 18 meetings since the 2001-02 season.

Junior guard BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham)—ranked No. 2 in the NJAC in points and assists, notched game highs of 19 points (6-9 FG), making 5-of-6 from three-point range with eight assists while sophomore forward Tatiana Javis (Newark, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) added 18 points (7-15 FG), eight rebounds and three blocks. Junior forward April Smith (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional), the NJAC leader in scoring and rebounding, notched her 16^th double-double of the season, with 11 points and 10 rebounds, adding four steals and two blocks.

For NJCU, sophomore point guard NIDIA CARMONA (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) collected a team-high 12 points, with five rebounds and two assists. She made 3-of-4 from three-point distance. Senior guard CAROLINA GARCIA (Plainfield, NJ/Franklin) played a full 40 minutes in a game for the 21^st time in her career and the seventh time this season and added 10 points and four rebounds. She increased her career scoring total to 897 points. Freshman forward MARIA SUAREZ (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) had a game-high 12 rebounds and contributed eight points.

Trailing 3-2 early, the Pioneers used a 24-6 run during the next eight minutes to take control of the game, shooting .469 in the first half (15-32). NJCU shot .279 overall (17-61). The Pioneers had a 30-7 margin in points off NJCU's 24 turnovers and owned an 18-2 advantage in second chance points. WPU's largest lead was 44 (80-36) with 2:03 remaining in the second half.

NJCU will next play Ramapo College on Saturday, February 12 at 4 p.m. in an NJAC North Division game in Jersey City, NJ. It will be Senior Day and the Knights will honor Garcia for her four-year career with the program.

—www.njcugothicknights.com—