WAYNE, NJ - Brycen Williams scored 18 points and Khalil Baker hit a key basket with :25 to play as Rowan held off William Paterson, 71-70, to record their second win in a row.

The Pioneers trailed by nine, 66-57, at 6:30 after Baker converted a three-point play. William Paterson (5-5; 1-4) used a 9-0 run to tie the game at 66-66, but Williams kept Rowan in front, making three free throws in the final two minutes, and Baker's jumper at :25, gave the Profs a 71-68 advantage. William Paterson's Nahsir Merrick got a tip-in with six seconds remaining to provide the final margin.

Taz Cantey had 17 points and eight rebounds for Rowan (2-8; 2-3 NJAC) with Baker adding 13 points and seven rebounds and C.J. Hayes scoring 13 points, which included a 6-for-6 effort at the foul line.
 
Rowan led from the opening tip and built up a 12-point lead, 28-16, at the 7:28 mark of the first half. The Profs got to the foul line 15 times in the first half, making 13 of them.
 
The Profs never trailed and the nine-point lead was their largest of the second half. William Paterson put together a few runs in the second half, tying the game, 51-51, with 12:18 remaining before Hayes answered with a three-pointer.
 
Rowan went 22-for-26 from the foul line in the game, the second-best effort of the season.
 
The Profs get a break for the holiday and don't return to action until after the New Year. Rowan will play a pair of games at Stockton, taking on Christopher Newport on January 2 and Widener on January 3.