MONTCLAIR, N.J. – William Paterson (2-3, 0-2 NJAC) owned a 10-point halftime lead, then nearly rallied from a double-digit deficit during the second half, falling just short of an upset at No. 4/4 Montclair State (4-0, 2-0 NJAC), 71-67, in women's basketball action Nov. 26.

Senior guard Floriana Borova (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) led all players with 27 points, adding seven rebounds and five assists, while senior forward Dana Jeter (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) had a double-double with 14 tallies and a game-best 11 boards. Junior center Ashley Marfo (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and senior guard Kristine Jackiewicz (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) finished with eight tallies.

After a back-and-forth opening 12 minutes, the Pioneers scored nine of the next 13 points to seize a 19-12 advantage with 8:35 on the clock. The Red Hawks eventually pulled within one (26-25, 4:12), but back-to-back buckets by Marfo and Borova ignited a 9-0 run to end the half and allowed WP to carry a 35-25 lead into the break.

MSU had all of the momentum coming out of the locker room as William Paterson turned the ball over during five of its first six possessions. Junior Melissa Tobie's layup at the 16:35 mark tied the score at 35-35, capping a 10-0 run, but Jeter immediately answered with a layup. Marfo's later 1-for-2 trip to the free-throw line and sophomore guard Brittany Harden's (Millville, N.J./Sacred Heart) jumper 30 seconds later made it a 40-35 game with 15:16 remaining.

When Montclair State scored five unanswered points to again knot the score, this time at 40-40 with 14:11 left, Jackiewicz drained a three-pointer during the ensuing possession. Jeter's layup and Borova's fast-break bucket expanded the Pioneers' advantage to seven, 47-40, at the 12:21 mark.

Borova was forced to the bench with her fourth foul as WP owned a 47-42 lead with 10:35 remaining, and the Red Hawks took advantage of her absence with an 11-0 burst. By the time she re-entered at the 6:56 mark, MSU had built a 55-48 advantage.

Borova made a pair from the charity stripe (55-50, 6:19), but Tobie's trey and Nicosia Henry's steal and layup pushed the margin to double digits at 60-50 with 5:46 on the clock.

Down nine, 65-56, with 4:15 to play, Borova got the Pioneers' comeback started by making three of her four free-throw attempts during the next minute. The two teams traded baskets before a Borova jumper (67-63, 1:15), then a Jackiewicz steal and another Borova score off an offensive rebound made it a one-possession game at 67-65 with 30.5 seconds on the clock. WP did not immediately foul, and Borova was whistled for her fifth foul when she attempted to tap the ball away from Tobie from behind with 11 seconds left. Tobie made both free throws to push the lead to four, but the Red Hawks were then called for a foul 75 feet away from the basket, putting Jackiewicz at the line. She knocked down both with nine seconds remaining (69-67), but the Pioneers were called for a reach-in foul when it appeared Jeter had tied up Tobie on the inbounds play. Tobie went 2-for-2 at the charity stripe (71-67) with eight seconds to play, and William Paterson never got a shot off as time expired.

Tobie led MSU with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Janitza Aquino added 18 tallies.

William Paterson will visit Stevens Saturday, Nov. 30, at 1:00 p.m.

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