Box Score

GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University men’s basketball team upset William Paterson University, 85-62 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Saturday afternoon.

The Profs improve to 9-11 overall and 3-6 in the conference.  The Pioneers, ranked 18th in this week’s D3hoops.com Poll, have a 16-3 record with a 7-2 NJAC mark.  All five Rowan starters scored in double figures.  Center Dee Benson (so. Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) totaled 20 points and 11 rebounds.  Guard Phil Jackson (so. Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) registered 18 points, while guard Rich McNamara (so. Southampton, NJ/Seneca) compiled 16 points and seven boards.  Guard Jason Rosenberg (so. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) collected 14 points and six assists.  Forward Jason Sofman (so. West Milford, NJ/West Milford) contributed with 10 points and eight rebounds.  Guard Kendall White (jr. Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) added seven points off the bench.

For William Paterson, forward Lance Brown (jr. Teaneck, NJ/Paterson Catholic) had a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds.  Guard Corey Chandler (jr. Newark, NJ/Newark East Side) tallied 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.  Guard Jaques Conceicao (fr. Massama-Lisboa, Portugal/Francais Charle Lepierre) produced 10 points.

The Pioneers were ahead, 38-34 at halftime.  Chandler’s two free throws at 19:03 in the second period gave William Paterson a six point lead (40-34).  Benson hit a foul shot (18:23) and McNamara sunk a jump shot (17:20) to cut the deficit to three (40-37).  Brown’s layup at 15:01 put the Pioneers up by five (46-41).  White nailed a three-pointer (14:42) and Brown followed with a basket (13:53) to make the score, 48-44.  Sofman’s three at 13:14 made it a one point game (48-47).  William Paterson forward James McLane (fr. Belleville, NJ/Queen of Peace) converted one of two free throws (12:43) for a two point advantage (49-47).  White’s jumper at 12:18 tied the game at 10. 

Chandler’s layup at 11:54 gave the Pioneers a two point lead (51-49).  Rowan went on a 17-2 run to pull ahead, 66-53 with 5:27 remaining.  Jackson, Rosenberg and Benson all scored four points, while Sofman added three and McNamara had two.  Chandler’s basket at 4:31 brought William Paterson within 11 (68-57).  The Profs recorded the next seven points for an 18 point advantage (75-57) with 3:26 left.  Benson collected five of the seven points. 

The closest the Pioneers came the rest of the way was 15 points (75-60) after two free throws by guard Julio Rosario (jr. Perth Amboy, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) at 3:12.  Rowan finished the game with a 10-2 surge.  Rosenberg posted six of the 10 points.  Benson and Rosenberg each scored 12 points in the second stanza.

In the first half, the score was tied nine times.  The Profs began the game with a 7-2 spurt over the first four minutes.  Chandler made two free throws (15:43) and guard Rick DeStefano (jr. Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro) hit a three-pointer (14:46) to tie the game (7-7).  Jackson’s layup at 8:16 put Rowan ahead, 19-15.  The Pioneers scored seven straight points to take a 22-19 lead at 7:03.  Brown hit a three, while DeStefano and Conceicao both had a layup.  Rosenberg (6:48) and Jackson (6:23) each recorded a basket to go up by one (23-22). 

Chandler converted two foul shots (4:05) and a jump shot (3:40) to give William Paterson a two point advantage (30-28).  McNamara’s jumper at 3:03 tied the game (30-30).  The score was 32-32 after a layup by Conceicao at 1:46.  Brown sunk a three-pointer (1:14) to pull ahead, 35-32.  Rowan trailed by one (35-34) after Benson’s basket with 43 seconds on the clock.  DeStefano’s three-pointer with 22 seconds left gave the Pioneers a 38-34 halftime lead.  Brown registered 16 points in the first period and Jackson had 10 for the Profs.

Rowan travels to Kean University on Wednesday, February 1 for an 8 p.m. conference game.