WILLIAMSPORT, PA. – The William Paterson women's basketball team (7-5) held off a late rally by host Lycoming (8-4) to secure the Hoops for Hounds Classic title with a 74-70 victory Dec. 29.
Freshman guard Gabby Harris (South River, N.J./South River) posted 14 points and seven rebounds, while senior guard Nikole Williams (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central) notched 13 tallies and seven boards. Sophomore guard Sihana Asani (Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton) added 12 points, and senior forward Janea Clark (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) pulled down a team-best nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Julie Rovito (Ridgefield Park, N.J./Ridgefield Park) contributed seven tallies, seven boards, three assists and two blocked shots to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team, while tourney MVP junior forward Tori Woetzel (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) finished with six points and seven rebounds.
With WP ahead by just one at 19-18 to end the first quarter, the two teams traded baskets for much of the second period until an Ashley Palmieri (Edison, N.J./Metuchen) layup ignited a 7-2 run that helped give the Pioneers a 39-34 halftime advantage.
The Warriors pulled to within two at 47-45 with 3:49 to play in the third quarter, but two Asani three-pointers and a Harris layup stretched it to a 55-45 score less than two minutes later.
Clark's layup pushed WP ahead by a 62-49 count 78 seconds into the final period, and the lead was still in double digits at 67-57 with 2:21 on the clock. Lycoming scored nine of the game's next 11 points, making it a 69-66 game with 43 seconds to play, before a free throw by freshman guard Kristina Ulrich (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) and a Warrior layup left it a 70-68 margin with 32 seconds left. Asani made one of two free throws (71-68, 0:32), followed by buckets from Lycoming and Williams (73-70, 0:17), before Harris rebounded a Warrior miss from beyond the arc and was fouled. Her free throw made it a two-possession game with four seconds to play.
Junior forward Shelby Mueller led Lycoming with 14 points, and junior guard/forward Haley Sipple had 11 tallies and nine rebounds.
William Paterson will return to conference action Wednesday, Jan. 4, at The College of New Jersey at 6:00 p.m.
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