PITMAN—After Erin Monahan guided the William Paterson women’s basketball team to its first NJAC championship in program history as a rookie head coach in 1992-93, it took her 18 years to claim her second NJAC title last season. It only took 363 days for her to guide WPU to its third NJAC crown, as William Paterson made it back-to-back NJAC titles with a 79-69 road win at Kean in the 2011-12 NJAC Championship Game. With the victory, the Pioneers are just the third NJAC women’s program to win back to back conference titles. As champions of the NJAC William Paterson also claims the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
CHAMPIONSHIP
WILLIAM PATERSON 79, KEAN 69
UNION–Trailing by nine during the opening moments of the second half, No. 9/11 William Paterson (25-2) stormed back, putting together a 12-2 run midway through the period and eventually pulling away from host No. 23/24 Kean (22-5) for a 79-69 victory in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Women's Basketball Tournament championship game on February 24.
The win gave the Pioneers back-to-back league titles as well as an automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division III Tournament.
The NJAC Player of the Year, senior forward April Smith, paced WP with 16 points and 11 rebounds, adding four assists. Senior all-American guard and NJAC Defensive Player of the Year BriAnna Lucas scored all 15 of her points during the second half, while honorable-mention all-league sophomore guard Floriana Borova contributed 15 tallies, five assists and a game-high five steals. Junior guard Lindsey Callander was 4-for-4 from three-point range for 14 points, sophomore forward Dana Jeter had eight tallies, eight boards and three assists, and junior forward Tatiana Javis chipped in seven points and seven rebounds.
A pair of Callander treys helped the Pioneers stake themselves to an early 12-7 lead at the 15:32 mark, but nine lead changes and three ties marked the game's next six minutes as both teams struggled to take control of the contest. An 8-2 Cougar burst fueled by two Naimah Clemons baskets and an Erika Jones three-pointer handed Kean a 42-32 advantage with 1:23 on the clock, but Callander's third three-ball of the contest allowed William Paterson to keep the margin in single digits as the teams entered the locker room with Kean owning a 44-37 advantage.
After missing the Pioneers' entire 56-49 semifinal victory Feb. 22 against Rutgers-Newark and playing just five minutes during the opening half against the Cougars due to an injury, Lucas started the second half and almost immediately made her presence known. Simone Smith's layup pushed Kean's lead to nine at 46-37 just 36 seconds into the period, but Lucas drained a three-pointer and then converted a layup, a quick five points that made the score 46-42 with 18:19 on the clock.
The two teams traded baskets over the next five minutes, with WP twice getting to within one point, but the Cougars' Clemons and Brittanie Payne found the bottom of the net to make it a five-point game at 56-51 with 11:16 to play.
Jeter's second-chance three-point play made it a one-possession game (56-54, 10:54), and after a miss on each end, Clemons drilled a trey before Javis answered with a jumper in the lane (59-56, 9:45). A Kean turnover led to another Lucas three-pointer, this one to knot the score at 59-59 at the 9:15 mark.
Payne and Smith traded layups on consecutive possessions less than two minutes later (61-61, 7:22). The Cougars could not make good on an offensive rebound during their next possession, but the Pioneers did on the other end of the court when Lucas sank a trey to give WP the lead for good (64-61, 6:34).
Kean was whistled for an offensive foul on a miss from beyond the arc, then turned it over during its next series. Lucas was sent to the line and made a pair of free throws (66-61, 5:16), but Danielle McFadden hit a layup just 12 seconds later, and a WP turnover allowed Simone Smith to follow her own miss and pull the Cougars to within one at 66-65 with 4:28 remaining.
Junior guard Kierra Walker streaked to the rim for a layup (68-65, 4:04), and when Jeter rebounded a Shay Collins miss, Borova turned it into two points on the other end and a 70-65 Pioneer lead with 3:33 remaining.
Two Kean misses sandwiched a William Paterson turnover, and another WP miscue led to a McFadden fast-break bucket (70-67, 2:15). Jeter's layup less than 30 seconds later again gave WP a five-point cushion, and when McFadden committed a turnover after an offensive rebound, the Pioneers had a chance to put the game away. Borova sank two free throws with 1:08 on the clock, then picked off a Clemons pass. Kean fouled and sent Jeter to the charity stripe, and she made the first of two for a 75-67 score with 53 seconds left.
Jones missed from beyond the arc and the Cougars were forced to foul to get the ball back. Borova went 2-for-2 (77-67, 0:35), then stole Payne's pass and scored a transition bucket six seconds later to put the finishing touches on the Pioneers' come-from-behind victory.
William Paterson shot 46.7 (14-30) percent while limiting Kean to a 12-for-34 (.353) effort during the second half, and owned a 15-9 second-half turnover advantage after yielding a 14-7 negative margin during the opening 20 minutes. Overall, the Pioneers knocked down eight of 13 (.615) attempts from beyond the arc and 13 of 17 (.765) free throws, while the Cougars were 5-for-19 (.263) from three-point range and missed their only attempt from the charity stripe.
The NJAC Tournament title was the third in the Pioneers' history (1993, 2011, 2012), and the victory against the Cougars avenged one of WP's two losses this season (88-84 in overtime at Kean, Jan. 14).
Clemons led all scorers with 18 points. Payne had 14 tallies and seven assists, and Jones posted 13 points and nine rebounds. Smith collected 12 points and seven boards, and McFadden contributed 10 points and six rebounds.
SEMIFINALS
KEAN 76, MONTCLAIR STATE 68
UNION--Junior guard Naimah Clemons and Brittanie Payne combined for 40 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Kean University women's basketball team to a 76-68 win over Montclair State University in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Semifinals on February 21.
With the win, the #23/24 Cougars (22-4) advance to face William Paterson University for the NJAC title at home on Friday, February 24, at 7 p.m.
Freshman forward Melissa Tobie led the Red Hawks (19-8) with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds.
Clemons finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Payne added 18 points and eight rebounds for Kean.
In the first half, the Cougars used a 14-4 run to open up a nine-point lead at 33-24 with 4:15 remaining in the half, as Payne capped the run with a layup. Tobie slowed the Cougars with a three-point play and a layup by junior forward Taylor Jeffers pulled the Red Hawks to within four, before the Cougars took the 37-31 lead at the break.
Payne hit 6-of-8 shots in the first half for 12 points, while Clemons dropped in 10 points. Tobie led the Red Hawks with 12 points.
Kean extended the lead to double-digits to open the second half, as Clemons knocked down a three-pointer and junior Simone Smith grabbed an offensive board and made the putback for the 42-31 lead. Tobie then sparked an 11-0 run with a layup and sophomore guard Theresa Towns scored seven of the team's next nine points, tying the game at 42-42 with a layup with 16:21 remaining.
A three-pointer by Kean junior guard Erika Jones halted the run and Jones would later give the Cougars a 50-44 lead with 14:40 remaining with another basket from beyond the arc. A 6-0 run by Montclair State would give the Red Hawks their first lead of the second half at 54-53 and the two teams exchanged the lead three times over the next minute, before Clemons sparked a 7-0 run for the Cougars who extended the lead to 62-56 with 7:38 left in the game.
Montclair State answered right back with a 7-0 run, regaining the lead at 63-62 on a pair of free throws by senior guard Jaime Ericson and the lead would once again change hands three times over the next minute before a three-point play by senior forward Danielle McFadden gave Kean the lead for good at 67-65 with 3:18 remaining.
Kean followed with six straight free throws and a layup by Clemons to extend the lead back to double-digits in the final minute en-route to the eight-point victory.
Jones finished with 14 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars, while McFadden added seven points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
Towns scored 15 points for Montclair State, while Jeffers added 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Kean hosts William Paterson for the NJAC title for the second time in the last three seasons. In the 2010 championship game, Kean defeated the Pioneers, 70-62, to capture the program's 13th NJAC title.
WILLIAM PATERSON 56, RUTGERS-NEWARK 49
WAYNE--A 21-7 run to open the second half helped to propel short-handed No. 9/11 William Paterson (24-2) to a 56-49 victory against visiting Rutgers-Newark (18-8) in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Women’s Basketball Tournament semifinals on February 21.
Playing without the services of senior all-American guard and NJAC Defensive Player of the Year BriAnna Lucas, WP’s perimeter options dwindled further when honorable-mention all-league sophomore guard Floriana Borova picked up her third foul less than six minutes into the contest. However, the Pioneers’ defensive intensity held them in the game during the opening half as they limited Rutgers-Newark to just 15.8 (6-38) shooting during the opening 20 minutes. William Paterson scored nine straight points to erase an 8-6 deficit (14:36), and eventually owned a 17-9 advantage with 8:17 on the clock. Three straight Rutgers-Newark buckets, the last two by first-team all-conference guard Kendra Johnson, pulled the Scarlet Raiders to within two (19-17, 4:06). ShaQuanna Marshall’s three-pointer knotted the score at 20-20 with 1:02 remaining, but Dana Jeter’s (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) putback with seven seconds left allowed the Pioneers to enter the locker room with a 22-20 edge.
The two teams traded baskets to start the second period until Borova came off the bench and drained a trey from the top of the key at the 16:30 mark (27-24), the start of a 16-0 burst for the Pioneers during the next five minutes. A Jeter layup, two free throws from senior all-American and NJAC Player of the Year April Smith, a Tatiana Javis (Hillside, N.J./Bloomfield Tech) layup, another Borova three-pointer and a Smith bucket handed WP a 38-24 advantage with 12:42 remaining. During the stretch, the Scarlet Raiders missed seven straight attempts and committed a pair of turnovers.
The margin remained in double figures until a Lori Nieves trey (54-45, 2:03), but Rutgers-Newark never was able to make it a one-possession game, as the final six-point spread was the smallest of the final 15 minutes of the contest.
Smith notched her 21st double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-best 17 rebounds. Jeter contributed 11 tallies, 10 boards and team bests of four assists and three steals, while Borova scored 14 points in her 22 minutes of action. Javis provided a much-needed spark off the bench with eight points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Johnson led Rutgers-Newark with 18 points, chipping in seven rebounds. Nieves had nine tallies and eight boards, and Marshall contributed eight points before leaving the game with a second-half injury. The Scarlet Raiders shot just 24.0 (18-75) percent from the floor, including a 5-for-30 (.167) effort from beyond the arc.
FIRST ROUND
MONTCLAIR STATE 76, RICHARD STOCKTON 67
MONTCLAIR--Freshman forward Melissa Tobie scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Montclair State University to a 76-67 victory over Richard Stockton College in the first round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament at the Panzer Athletic Center.
Montclair State, the second seed in the NJAC North Division, posted its fourth straight win and its 12th in its last 13 games as it improves its overall record to 19-7. This is MSU’s ninth consecutive appearance in the conference tournament and the fourth time in the last five years that it has advanced past the first round. It is also the third straight year that the Red Hawks have defeated Richard Stockton in the first round of the NJAC Tournament.
Tobie, third in the conference in scoring and a seven-time Rookie of the Week honoree, collected her third double-double performance and eighth 20-plus point outing of the season.
In a game that saw five ties and 10 lead changes, the outcome was still up for grabs with 11 and a half minutes to play before Montclair State finally took control of the contest. Trailing 50-49 with 11:39 remaining, the Red Hawks scored the next seven points and 11 of the next 13 to take a 60-52 lead with 9:10 left. Sophomore guard Theresa Towns, who had 17 points and four steals, scored six of her 15 second-half points in the scoring run.
Richard Stockton, the third seed in the NJAC South Division, came back to narrow the gap to four points at 60-56 at the 7:31 mark. But the Ospreys, who finished the year with a 15-12 record, never got any closer.
MSU then increased its margin to 10 points, the biggest in the game, at 68-58 with 5:07 to go before cruising down the stretch for the win.
In the first half, Montclair State came out strong, hitting its first six shots from the field and jumped out to a quick 13-6 lead with 17:14 remaining. But the Red Hawks went cold, making just six of their next 23 shots, enabling Richard Stockton to rally back. Down 24-19, the Ospreys went on a 10-3 run to take their first lead of the contest at 29-27 with 3:01 left in the period. The lead changed hands three more times down the stretch with junior forward Colleen Kelly hitting a jumper with 57 seconds to play to give Montclair State a 34-33 edge at the intermission.
Junior guard-forward Che’Na Thompson topped Richard Stockton, which saw all five of its starters reach double figures. Thompson scored 14 points, all in the first half, and grabbed 10 rebounds while senior center LaTonya Oliver and sophomore forward Lauren Alwan also turned in double-double efforts with 13 points and 12 rebounds and 10 points and 13 rebounds, respectively. Senior guard Allyah Nelson scored all 12 of her points in the second half and freshman guard Brittany Muniz added 10 points for the Ospreys.
Senior guard Jaime Ericson, currently 12th on the MSU all-time scoring list with 1,131, scored 18 points, include 10 in the second half.
Montclair State will now travel to play Kean (21-7), the top seed in the conference’s South Division, in the Semifinals of the NJAC Tournament on February 21 at 7 pm. It will be the seventh time that the Red Hawks have met the Cougars in the tournament and third time in the last four years.
RUTGERS-NEWARK 48, TCNJ 37
EWING--Rutgers-Newark shut down The College of New Jersey to earn a 48-37 win in the opening round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament in Packer Gym.
The Scarlet Raiders (18-7) advance to the semifinals at top-seeded William Paterson on February 21 at 7 p.m. The Pioneers swept the regular season series against the Raiders.
Senior forward Lori Nieves had 14 points and seven rebounds for R-N while sophomore guard ShaQuanna Marshall contributed nine points and team highs of a dozen rebounds and four assists.
It was swarming defense that proved the difference – as usual – for Rutgers-Newark. Sophomore forward Jasmine Daniels came up with six of the Raiders' 10 steals as TCNJ was forced into 19 turnovers. The Lions (17-9) made just 20.4% (10-49) of their field goals. Daniels also snared seven rebounds as the R-N controlled the boards, 48-38.
Senior forward Brittany Smith came off the bench for nine points, two steals and a pair of blocked shots while senior guard Kendra Johnson battled through an icy shooting performance for eight points and five rebounds. Freshman forward Jade Howard, shackled with foul trouble, added seven rebounds and six points.
Senior guard Jessica Imhof was the only Lion in double figures with a dozen points as the Raiders held an opponent under 40 points for the fifth time this season. The 20.4% field goal accuracy was a season low for a Raider opponent.
Sophomore forward Liz West had six points and a dozen rebounds for TCNJ while senior forward Kelsey Kutch came off the bench for four points and eight rebounds.
In the opening half, Rutgers-Newark smothered the Lions to take control of the game after a West field goal just 18 seconds into the game gave TCNJ its only lead. Nieves and Howard had four points apiece as the Raiders ran off eight straight points on its way to a 15-4 lead. The Lions, who shot a chilly 20% (5-25) from the field in the opening half, got only a pair of free throws from Imhof during a 9-minute, 56-second stretch. TCNJ committed 14 turnovers against R-N pressure with Daniels coming up with four steals in the period.
It marks the second straight season that the Raiders have opened their NJAC tournament quest with a win over the Lions. Rutgers-Newark downed TCNJ, 63-48, in The Golden Dome in last season's opening round to start their charge to the first conference championship game appearance in program history. After a 54-51 upset of heavily-favored Kean in the semifinals, the Raiders fell to William Paterson, 63-49, in the title game.
PLAY-IN GAME
RICHARD STOCKTON 83, ROWAN 70
GALLOWAY--Richard Stockton won an NJAC Tournament play-in game by downing Rowan, 83-70. The teams finished the regular season even in all tiebreakers, forcing a playoff for the last spot in the NJAC Tournament.
With the win, Stockton advanced to play at Montclair State in the first round of the league playoffs on February 18 at 1:00 PM.
Lauren Alwan tied her career high with 22 points to lead five Ospreys in double figures. Sarah Gibbs tied her career high with 13 counters.
Che'Na Thompson and Aliyah Nelson each scored 12 points, with Thompson pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds. Brittany Muniz scored 11 more and LaTonya Oliver snatched 11 boards as Stockton out-rebounded Rowan 55-45.
With the Profs leading by two at 28-26 in the first half, Gibbs came off the bench to spark the team. In two minutes, Gibbs scored all nine of her first-half points to give Stockton a 37-30 advantage. Baskets by Kelsey Brown and Alwan stretched the lead to 11 before ending the half up 41-32.
Alwan led all scorers with 13 first-half points while Lauren Gregg countered with 12 markers in the period to lead the Profs.
In the second half, Rowan closed to within three at 54-51 as Kate Matthews and Kaitlin Schullstrom scored two buckets apiece during a 10-2 run, but the Profs could get no closer. Alwan netted nine more points and Thompson scored eight after the break to keep the Profs at bay. Nelson hit four foul shots in the final 32 seconds to seal the 83-70 victory.
Gregg hit for a game-high 24 points for the Profs to go along with 10 rebounds. Matthews chipped in with 13 counters and Schullstrom tallied 12 more while teammate Erin Farrell accounted for 10 points.