After scoring the first 10 points of the contest, the Pioneers entered the locker room ahead by just three (32-29), and owned a 41-39 edge with 9:57 remaining. William Paterson then seized control of the contest, scoring nine straight tallies as a part of a 15-4 game-ending run. Senior Luci Custis (Roselle, N.J./Abraham Clark) scored eight of her game-high 21 points in the final 9:35 to lead the Pioneer charge and snap Lehman’s six-game winning streak.
Custis added two assists and three steals to her 21 tallies. Senior Melissa Moore (East Orange, N.J./North Bergen) established a new career high with six steals, and chipped in eight points. Sophomore Joi Stevens (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) more than doubled her previous career best with a team-high 11 rebounds in 11 minutes of action, while freshman Elisa Brown (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) had eight points, seven rebounds and three steals in the victory.
William Paterson received votes in this week’s d3hoops.com National Top 25 Poll (13 votes, tied-32nd).
In a battle of the New Jersey Athletic Conference’s two unbeaten teams, the Pioneers will face Kean Saturday, Jan. 27, at 3:00 p.m. WPU will host “Take a Kid to the Game Day” at the Rec Center, and children 14 and under will be admitted for free to the doubleheader, which will begin with a 1:00 p.m. men’s contest against the Cougars. Among the events planned will be a visit by JJ Jumper, the NCAA’s basketball mascot.