Box score

Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey women's basketball team fell to New Jersey Athletic Conference opponent William Paterson University 72-53 on Saturday.

The Lions (8-7, 2-3 NJAC) received strong efforts from seniors Alex Gregorek (Mahwah, NJ/Academy of Holy Angels), Keri Washington (Ewing, NJ/Pennington Prep), and junior Jessica Imhof (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central), but it wasn't enough to overcome a talented Pioneers squad.

Imhof stood out on offense leading TCNJ with 13 points and five assists. Gregorek netted 12 points and collected five rebounds, while Washington finished with nine points and a pair of assists.

April Smith (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) had a tremendous game for WPU (14-2, 5-1 NJAC) leading all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor. Junior Brianna Lucas (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) tallied 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and freshman Dana Jeter (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) put six points and four assists.

The Pioneers were capitalistic from the free throw line as the hit 19 of 21 shots from the charity stripe.

The Lions opened the game clicking as they made eight of their first 13 shots for a 17-16 lead midway through the half. Gregorek knocked down 4-of-5 field goal attempts and established an inside presence early in the contest.

The Pioneers caught fire late in the second half to take command. Lucas hit back-to-back 3-pointers as WPU took its largest lead of the half 38-23 with 2:51 remaining. They were perfect from the line hitting all 14 foul shots as Lucas and Smith knocked down four a piece.

TCNJ made a run late in the second half rattling off eight straight points spearheaded by the play of Imhoff and West. That closed the gap to 63-48. After Smith hit a lay-up, Gregorek responded with a eight-foot jumper. But Kristine Jackiewicz (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) buried a shot from the behind the arc to stretch the put the game out of reach.

The Lions return to action on Tuesday, January 18 when they visit Moravian College. The Pioneers host Saint Elizabeth College on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.