Box Score
Wayne, NJ … In a tightly played New Jersey Athletic Conference showdown, The College of New Jersey men's basketball team fell just shy of handing William Paterson University its first loss of the season.
 
In a contest where the lead changed 27 times overall, the Lions (1-2, 0-1 NJAC) played well enough to win, but the Pioneers (4-0, 1-0 NJAC) used a late surge to capture their fourth victory to open the season 75-69.
 
TCNJ received a great offensive effort from sophomore Matthew Rista (Point Pleasant, NJ/St. Anthony's) as he registered a career-high 18 points. He drained four three-pointers and also had a pair of assists and two steals.
 
The Lions had 10 players in the scoring column and five with nine or more points. Senior Dan Bucher (New Providence, NJ/New Providence) provided his teammates with early momentum as he compiled 10 first-half points, while sophomore Jason Chalmers (Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills), sophomore Skyelar Ettin (Princeton, NJ/Princeton), and freshman Kyle Cancillieri (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) each chipped in with  nine points.
 
WPU was led by junior forward Lance Brown (Teaneck, NJ/Paterson Catholic) who pumped in a game-high 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting. He also grabbed 12 boards, an element of the game that the Pioneers held a distinct advantage as they out-rebounded the Lions 45-28.
 
For the first time in three games, TCNJ avoided digging an early hole as they traded punches with the WPU from the onset. Neither team had a lead greater than three points throughout the entire opening period.
 
The Lions held a 34-33 advantage at the half. Bucher hit a pair of three-pointers and was perfect from the free throw line to rack up 10 points in the first 20 minutes. Ettin and Rista were a combined six-of-eight from the floor and Emmanuel Matlock (Trenton, NJ/Solebury) dished out three assists. Down 33-31, junior guard Donovan Small (Union, NJ/Union) drained a three-point shot at the buzzer to send TCNJ into the intermission with a lead.
 
The opening minutes of the second half stayed on script until the Pioneers ran off eight straight points to take 46-39 lead. The Lions countered with eight unanswered points as Rista drilled a three-point shot followed by a jumper to cut the deficit to two points. Cancillieri knocked down a free throw before Matlock converted a conventional three-point play allowing the visitors to re-take the lead 48-46 with 13:57 to play.
 
Brown became increasingly difficult to contain during the closing minutes as he scored 10 points in a five-minute span. Rista drained a clutch three-point shot with 4:26 remaining to give TCNJ a 66-65 lead, but it would be their last. Brown responded from long distance as the Pioneers outscored the Lions 10-3 in the final 4:10.
 
Chalmers dropped in a bucket as he was fouled and sank the foul shot to pull within four with less than a minute remaining, but time ran out for TCNJ.
 
Smalls and Matlock finished with four assists each and Cancillieri, the reigning NJAC Rookie of the Week, led the Lions with six rebounds.
 
The Lions take some time off for the Thanksgiving holiday before resuming conference play on Wednesday, November 30. They host Rowan University in their home opener in Packer Hall at 8 p.m.