NJAC Men's Basketball Championship Central | Box Score | Bracket
JERSEY CITY, NJ --- The sixth-seeded William Paterson men's basketball team (15-11, 9-9 NJAC) led by as many as 23 points at third-seeded New Jersey City (19-7, 13-5 NJAC), then held off a late Gothic Knight rally for an 81-78 upset victory Feb. 17 during the first round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament.
The Pioneers advance to the semifinals Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7:00 p.m. at second-seeded The College of New Jersey (19-6, 14-4 NJAC). The highest remaining seed will host the championship game Saturday, Feb. 24, at a time to be determined.
WP shot a scintillating 54.5 (18-33) percent during the first half, including a 6-for-10 (.600) effort from three-point range, while creating a 16-4 turnover advantage for a 52-34 halftime lead. Senior guard George Sapp and sophomore forward Sean Smith combined for 8-for-11 (.727) shooting for 14 points apiece.
Senior forward Richy Espinal's trey capped an 8-3 burst to open the second half and hand the Pioneers their largest lead of the game at 60-37 with 16:56 remaining. William Paterson enjoyed a 17-point margin, 77-60 with 6:29 on the clock, before NJCU began to mount a charge, cutting it to single digits on a Sam Toney layup (77-69, 3:10). The Gothic Knights' rally continued, including two Toney free throws to make it a one-possession game (79-76, 1:17).