MAHWAH, N.J.  – The Roadrunners held the lead briefly in the first quarter, but the William Paterson women's basketball team (3-1, 1-0 NJAC) shot a sizzling 8-of-16 from beyond the arc to quickly turn the tables and roll past Ramapo (2-2, 0-1 NJAC), 70-54, on the road in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opener Nov. 21.
 
Tied 12-12 late in the first quarter, Pioneer freshman guard Danica DeFrank (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex) drilled a three-pointer to give the Pioneers the lead at the 0:32 mark, establishing an advantage that WP would never relinquish. The rookie posted eight first-half points as William Paterson headed into the break with a 39-31 lead.
 
The Pioneers' advantage never dipped below four points, having it cut to 53-49 at the 9:37 mark in the fourth quarter. A converted jumper from junior guard CeCe Green (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) followed up by a layup from classmate Julie Rovito (Ridgefield Park, N.J./Ridgefield Park) helped WP improve its lead to 57-49. William Paterson went on to close the final nine minutes and 37 seconds of play on a 17-5 run.
 
Sparking WP's late run were senior forward Tori Woetzel (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) and junior guard Sihana Asani (Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton). Asani sunk three-pointers with 3:16 and 2:08 to go in the game, and Woetzel converted a pair of jump shots, helping the Pioneers extend their lead to 69-51 with 1:22 left in the contest.
 
All told, WP led for nearly 32 minutes, using five individual performances of at least eight points in the triumph. Woetzel just missed a double-double, scoring 12 while reeling in nine boards. Rovito posted her third game of the season in double-digits, notching a game-high 14 points and a team-best four assists. Asani registered nine point,s while DeFrank and Green tallied eight points apiece.
 
Ramapo sophomore forward Jenna Harsh led the Roadrunners with 11 points and nine rebounds. Classmate Jessica Repasy also finished in double figures, scoring 10 points at center as WP held Ramapo to just 33 (18-54) percent from the floor.
 
The Pioneers look for their fourth win in as many games when they return to the court Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 6:00 p.m. at New Jersey City.
 
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