It was an early 1:00 pm start at William Paterson University's Sports & Recreation center for a women's basketball battle between the William Paterson Pioneers and the visiting Gwynedd Mercy University Griffins.
The Pioneers' leading scorer on the season, senior Brianna Smith helped the hosts start off on the right foot when she scored the game's first points with a three-pointer. Gwynedd Mercy responded and kept pace with the Pioneers and with four minutes left in the first quarter, William Paterson held a slim 8-7 lead.
Smith would not be the only Pioneer who was up for this one because her teammates: Renee Wells, Mattison Chiera, Patricia Walsh and Luna Kirby helped give 'Willy P' a 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, after the first quarter, William Paterson took firm control of the game and Gwynedd Mercy had no answer for William Paterson's offense. The Pioneers took a 13-point lead into halftime and never looked back, cruising to a 68-38 victory.
Brianna Smith, who graduated from Pascack Valley high school, led all players in this game with 15 points, while Lynzie Eggers and Alexis Eagan provided 11 points each for Gwynedd Mercy. William Paterson won this game by a thirty-point margin because of how evenly scoring was spread throughout their roster.
In addition to Smith, Walsh and Wells each contributed double-digit point totals for William Paterson while freshman Menna Hafiz also stood out. The forward from Bayonne in Hudson County put up a career high 14 rebounds in addition to having one block. Hafiz's rebound total matched William Paterson's team high for the season which was set on Nov. 29.
Entering Break on High Note
Saturday's win improved William Paterson's record to 4-7, however, they will not be on the court again until Dec. 31. That date marks the Pioneers' next game against Springfield College in the "Springfield Tournament." The Pioneers are guaranteed two games in Massachusetts before they return to the Garden State where they will take on New Jersey Athletic Conference rival, The College of New Jersey on Jan. 6, 2024.
TCNJ are off to a good start behind a 6-4 overall and 4-2 conference record. They have also been on fire lately as they have blown out their last three opponents: Kean, Montclair State and Stockton which includes defeating Stockton by 36 points.
The Pioneers have had an interesting December because they lost to the Montclair State Red Hawks on Dec. 5 in Double Overtime before dropping another OT game to Stockton on Dec. 9. They showed resolve by rebounding with a dominant win over Rutgers-Newark on Dec. 13, and with today's win have won two in a row.
WPU's head coach, Erin Monahan has seen a lot in the 30 years that she has been on the sidelines for this program. She guided William Paterson to three NJAC Tournament titles (1993, 2011, and 2012) as well as nine NCAA Tournament bids. However, the greats never stop trying to win and 11 years after their last NJAC triumph, the William Paterson women's basketball team is striving for the top of their division, the question is what's it going to take.
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