Cougars Drop First Game of Season
UNION, N.J. (12/8/07) -
William Paterson University senior guard Michelle
Pellichero (Milltown, N.J.) scored a game-high 25 points,
including the final 11 points for the Pioneers, in an 82-79 victory
over host Kean University in the New Jersey Athletic Conference
opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon.
In a rematch of last year's NJAC title game that saw the Cougars
win at the buzzer on a three-pointer, Pellichero broke the
11th and final tie of the afternoon with back-to-back
three pointers to give WPU (6-2, 1-0 NJAC) a 79-76 lead with 1:56
remaining.
After Kean (5-1, 0-1 NJAC) forced a Pioneer turnover with just
under three seconds left, the Cougars inbounded the ball under
their own basket, but Kean guard Melissa Beyruti (Union
City, N.J.) was unable to repeat last year's game-winner,
missing a three-pointer at the buzzer that could have tied the
game.
The Cougars trailed by as many as 10 points early in the second
half (49-39, 17:00), before chipping away and taking their first
lead of the half on a layup by freshman forward Tiffany
Patrick (Piscataway, N.J.) (pictured left) to take a 58-57
lead with 8:18 left in the game. Over the next five minutes,
their were seven lead changes and four ties, with Kean taking their
final lead of the game at 73-71 with 3:18 left in the game on a
jumper in the paint by Beyruti.
Pellichero tied the game one final time on a layup, before her
back-to-back treys gave the Pioneers the lead for good. The
senior hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch, giving the Pioneers
a five point lead with eight seconds remaining. Patrick hit a
layup for Kean with four seconds left and the ensuing inbound pass
bounced off a Pioneer foot and back out of bounds to the Cougars
with just under three seconds remaining, giving Kean one last shot.
In a first half that had seven ties and seven lead changes,
neither team led by more than six points and WPU broke the seventh
tie of the half scoring five unanswered points to take a 40-35 lead
before Kean freshman April Smith (Barnegat, N.J.)
made a layup with 21 seconds left to cut the deficit to 40-37 at
halftime.
Pioneer senior guard Lori Custis (Roselle,
N.J.) led all scorers with 11 points, while Pellichero
added eight points for William Paterson in the first half.
Three players had six points apiece for Kean, as junior guard
Ebony Jackson (Newark, N.J.) led the way with six
points, four assists and four rebounds. Senior center
Chari' Cooper (Paulsboro, N.J.)
added 12 rebounds and four rebounds in the opening half for Kean.
Jackson finished with a double-double, scoring a team-high 18
points, including 10-of-12 from the charity stripe, and dished out
10 assists for the Cougars. Patrick finished with 14 points
off the bench, while sophomore forward Ali Fontan (West
Milford, N.J.) also provided a spark off the bench,
scoring 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor and grabbing
six rebounds in just 13 minutes of action. Beyruti added 12
points, while Cooper grabbed a dame-high 17 rebounds to go along
with eight points.
For the Pioneers, Custis and sophomore guard Julie
Haledjian (Montvale, N.J.) each scored 14 points before
fouling out, with Haledjian adding five assists and four
steals.
The Cougars return to action on Thursday, December 13, when they
travel to Hunter College for a non-conference game at 6 p.m.
