PATERSON, N.J. – Freshman Nina Branchizio set a new career high with 20 points in the TCNJ women's basketball team's game at William Paterson on Saturday afternoon. Despite that effort, the Pioneers defeated the Lions, 58-48. Branchizio hit six three pointers and a pair of free throws to account for her 20 points.
 
TCNJ shot just 20 percent from the field in the first half, making just five shots as WPU took a 30-16 lead into the intermission.
 
TCNJ cut into the deficit in the third quarter, though, scoring the first eight points of the period. Emily Toy scored a pair of times, including an old-fashioned three-point play with 6:59 left to make it 30-21. She scored 11 points and had a team-high four assists.
 
Branchizio followed with a three pointer to trim the deficit to 30-24. Sydney Blum and Branchizio each hit three pointers later in the third, but WPU still carried a 41-30 lead into the fourth quarter. Blum scored nine points while making three of her four three-point attempts.
 
TCNJ trailed, 47-36, in the fourth quarter when Toy hit a three pointer and a layup on back-to-back possessions. The only problem, however, was that WPU matched her shot-for-shot on both of those possessions, so it was still an 11-point Pioneer lead with 2:58 remaining.
 
Branchizio hit another three with 2:25 left to make it 52-44, and she hit another to make it 56-48 with 57 seconds remaining. That eight-point hole would be the closest the Lions could come, though.
 
TCNJ had its best shooting quarter in the fourth at 42.9 percent. TCNJ also went 5-for-10 from three-point range in the quarter. TCNJ assisted on 12 of its 16 field goals in the game.
 
Branchizio's previous high came in December when she scored 19 points against Stevenson in December.
 
The Lions close the regular season on Wednesday against Rutgers-Newark at Packer Hall at 6 p.m.