In an up-tempo and free-flowing contest, the Pioneers and Scarlet Raiders traded the lead eight times during the game’s first 20 minutes, including twice in the final 30 seconds before halftime. Luis Martinez (Passaic, N.J./Clifton) made a pair of free throws just before the break, and it was William Paterson on top at the intermission, 33-32.
An 8-0 Rutgers-Newark spurt early in the second stanza broke a 41-41 tie (41-49, 14:26), but William Paterson immediately answered with seven points of its own to shave the lead back to one (48-49, 10:02). Neither team could manage more than a four-point edge for the rest of the contest.
Jon Rother’s (Sodus Point, N.Y./Sodus Central) free throw with 1:17 left gave the Pioneers a 63-59 lead, but less than 30 seconds later, Phillipe Slater ( Newark, N.J./University) sank a pair from the stripe, making it a 63-61 contest. Samir Sanu (Edison, N.J./Sayreville) made one of two from the line (64-61, 0:18.4), as did Tim Lucas (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) and Abdoulaye Ouedraogo (Newark, N.J./Science) during the game’s final 10 seconds to seal the victory for William Paterson.
Junior Joey Spiegel (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) led four Pioneers in double figures with 17 points. Martinez had 13 tallies to finish his career 19 th in scoring (1,119), while Sanu had 10 points and Ouedraogo chipped in with 12. Chadd Barnes ( Newark, N.J./University) scored a game-best 20 points for the Scarlet Raiders, sinking six of 11 from beyond the arc, while Slater added 15 tallies. William Paterson finished the season 15-10 overall and 6-7 in NJAC competition. Rutgers-Newark (6-6 NJAC), the third and final seed from the North Division, will face either Richard Stockton or Rowan in the NJAC Tournament first round Monday, Feb. 19. Prior to the contest, William Paterson honored its four seniors – Martinez, Rother, Sanu and Jon Torbick (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren).