Wayne, NJ … William Paterson University men's basketball team rolled to its eighth consecutive win, defeating The College of New Jersey 78-60 on Saturday afternoon in Wayne, NJ.
 
Then victory kept the Pioneers (13-2, 8-1 NJAC) in a first-place tie in the New Jersey Athletic Conference standings with Richard Stockton College. The loss snapped a three-game conference winning streak in the for the Lions as they dropped to 8-8 overall and 4-5 in the NJAC.
 
Senior Skyelar Ettin (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) led TCNJ with a game-high 16 points, including four three-point field goals. Freshman Eric Murdock, Jr. (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) also reached double figures with 13 points, five rebounds and three steals.
 
WPU held a distinct advantage under the glass as they out-rebounded the Lions 43-28 and outscored them 38-22 in the paint. TCNJ junior Bobby Brackett (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) was limited to just five minutes of action on the floor, which gave the Pioneer front court more breathing room to operate inside.
 
The Lions jumped out to a quick 10-5 lead, but WPU responded with a 10-0 run. An Ettin 3 followed by a Kevin Johnson (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) layup tied the game at 15 with 11:16 remaining in the half.
 
A 14-1 run ensued as the Pioneers took command of the contest in their home building. They connected on 14-of-25 shots and drained 4-of-7 three-point attempts in the first half to hold a 41-26 advantage at the break.
 
WPU continued its momentum after the intermission. Their lead grew to 66-39 when Sandy Burgos dropped in a layup with just under 11 minutes remaining in the game. The Pioneers showcased great depth as 13 different players tallied points and rebounds in the game. Terik Bridgeman paced the WPU offense with 13 points and six assists. Turrell McClendon finished with 10 points, while Burgos chipped in with nine. Overall, the Pioneers shot 54 percent on the afternoon.
 
Senior Jayson Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Life Center Academy) netted eight points and Kevin Johnson contributed seven points. Sophomore Nick Alaimo (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) hit a pair of three-point field goals and finished with seven points.
.
The Lions return to Packer Hall on Wednesday night when they host Rutgers University-Camden at 8 p.m. TCNJ will look to avenge a 74-71 loss at the hands of the Scarlet Raptors earlier this season.