WAYNE, N.J. – The No. 18 William Paterson women's basketball team (2-1) came up with the clutch plays when it needed them, handing Farmingdale State (1-2) a 66-65 double-overtime loss Nov. 20 in the Pioneers' home opener.
Trailing by seven (52-45) with 4:29 remaining in the second period, freshman forward Maya Harris (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) started a 7-0 run with her putback jumper (52-47, 4:07), and after senior guard Floriana Borova (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) forced a turnover, she stepped to the free-throw line and made the second of two attempts (52-48, 3:48). A Ram miss and Borova rebound led to two made free throws by senior forward Dana Jeter (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) 20 seconds later.
Sophomore guard Brittany Harden (Millville, N.J./Sacred Heart) pulled down a key defensive board with 2:39 to play, and seven seconds later her spin move and layup knotted the score at 52-52.
Borova was whistled for her fourth foul during the ensuing Farmingdale possession, and junior guard Christina Merrill knocked down the first of her three-shot trip to the charity stripe to nudge the Rams ahead, 53-52, with 2:15 on the clock.
Borova's rebound of a Harden miss sent her to the stripe, and she made one of two free throws to again tie the score, this time at 53-53 at the 1:53 mark. Neither team could find the mark again, forcing overtime.
A Camille Romero three-point play and Nicky Young jumper handed Farmingdale a quick 58-53 edge one minute into the extra session. Jeter drained a pair at the line with 2:19 remaining, but Young's second-chance layup again extended the lead to five (60-55, 1:50).
Borova's steal and coast-to-coast layup made it a one-possession game with 46 seconds left, and when Harden blocked Romero's jumper it was Harris who pulled in the loose ball.
WP called timeout with 27.0 seconds on the clock, and on the ensuing play it was Jeter who had the breathing room on the right wing. She drained the shot, just her 22nd career three-pointer, with 14.1 seconds left to tie the contest at 60-60.
It was William Paterson that staked itself to the early lead during the second overtime, using a Borova free throw, Harden trey and two successful attempts by senior guard Kristine Jackiewicz (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) from the charity stripe, for a 66-60 edge with 2:20 remaining.
Merrill answered immediately with a three-pointer from the right wing (66-63, 2:05), and after a Pioneer miss and foul, Romero sank two free throws to pull the Rams to within one at 66-65 with 1:24 left.
Harden forced a Young turnover, but was whistled herself for traveling as she went to the floor. The shot clock reset with 48 seconds on the game clock, but Borova's steal with 35 seconds to play gave WP the opportunity to essentially hold for the final shot.
The Pioneers called a timeout with 6.0 seconds remaining and one tick left on the shot clock. Jeter got a good look on the catch and release, but it hit the back of the rim. Farmingdale could not immediately secure the loose ball, finally collecting it and calling its final timeout with 2.1 seconds to play. Young's baseball throw from 80 feet was well wide of the goal as time expired.
Jackiewicz paced the Pioneers with 17 points, adding nine rebounds, while Borova finished with 14 tallies, a team-high 14 boards and a career-best 10 steals. Harden collected 11 points and six rebounds, and Jeter posted nine tallies and 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Ashley Palmieri (Edison, N.J./Metuchen) chipped in nine points in 26 minutes off the bench.
Jackiewicz kept the Pioneers afloat with her 12 points during what was a lethargic first half for both teams. The Pioneers and Rams combined to shoot 27.6 (16-58) percent from the floor and commit 31 turnovers as WP carried a 27-23 lead into the break. Jeter played just eight minutes, forced to the bench for good when she picked up her third foul at the 11:46 mark, and all-American Borova was an uncharacteristic 0-for-9 from the field. Young, who entered the night averaging 27.5 points per game, was held to just four during the first 20 minutes.
In the end, William Paterson was just 23-for-86 (.267) from the floor compared to Farmingdale State's 21-for-62 (.339) effort, but the Pioneers dominated on the offensive glass (24-7, 20-4 margin in second-chance points).
Romero led the Rams with 23 points, Young had 17 tallies and six assists, and Merrill contributed 12 points. Senior forward Lushanta Savadel led all players with 20 rebounds.
William Paterson will begin New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play Saturday, Nov. 23, at The College of New Jersey at 1:00 p.m.
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