BOSTON, MASS. – Senior all-American forward April Smith (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) had her 33rd career double-double with 10 rebounds and a game-high 27 points as No. 4/4 William Paterson (2-0) defeated Moravian (0-2), 71-65, in the first round of the Emmanuel College Women's Basketball Invitational Nov. 19.
The Pioneers will play the winner of the Emmanuel/Heidelberg game Sunday, Nov. 20, in the tournament final at 3:00 p.m.
Smith was 10-for-18 (.556) from the floor and 7-for-9 (.778) from the free-throw line for her 27 tallies. Sophomore guard Floriana Borova (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) added 17 points to her five assists, and sophomore forward Dana Jeter (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) contributed 11 tallies, five assists, four steals and a game-best 15 rebounds. Senior all-American guard BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) chipped in 12 points.
Both teams got off to a slow start, combining to shoot just 15 percent from the field during the opening five minutes of action. Smith netted 13 of the Pioneers' first 19 points of the contest through the 10-minute mark, and William Paterson held a 19-11 advantage with 10:15 on the clock.
Moravian began to chip away at the deficit and a long three-ball from the left wing by Danielle Brogan set the score at 24-19 with 8:45 remaining in the half. A quick jumper by Alexandra Blair on their ensuing possession cut the Greyhounds' deficit to three points and forced a timeout by the Pioneers at 24-21.
William Paterson picked up the intensity and a pair of free throws by Borova extended the Pioneers' lead into double figures with just under four minutes left to play in the half (33-23, 3:52). The two teams entered halftime with William Paterson leading, 37-29.
The Greyhounds struggled to stop Smith down low, as she led all scorers at the break with 19 first-half points. Borova hit for nine points and Jeter netted seven for the Pioneers. The trio combined for all but two of the team's first-half scoring total.
Buckets by Jeter and Lucas, and a trey from Borova, quickly made it a 15-point margin, 44-29, less than two minutes into the second half. A 21-6 Moravian run got the Greyhounds back into it, knotting the score at 50-50 with 11:00 to play. Smith and Jeter combined to score the game's next five points (55-50, 7:44), and after Amanda Kreuder answered with a three-pointer (55-53, 7:25), the Pioneers fought back with a Borova score from behind the arc and an old-fashioned three-point play by Smith (61-53, 6:39). WP kept it a two-possession game the rest of the way.
Alexandra Blair led four Greyhounds in double figures with 14 points, adding nine rebounds. Alexis Wright had 12 tallies and nine boards.