Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 13, 2018) – The William Paterson University men's basketball team overcame a red-hot Rutgers University-Camden start and placed four players in double figures as it rallied past the Scarlet Raptors, 84-79, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.
 
The Pioneers improve to 9-7 overall and 4-5 in the NJAC, while hiking their lead in the all-time series against Rutgers-Camden to 58-7.
 
The Scarlet Raptors fall to 3-12 overall and 1-8 in the NJAC.
 
Led by five points from junior forward Isaac Destin (Woodlynne, NJ/Collingswood), the Scarlet Raptors scored the game's first nine points. They built a 20-10 lead midway through the opening half, with Destin scoring 11 of those points.
 
Destin went on to finish with a game-high 25 points, pushing his career total over the 800 plateau to 801.
 
By halftime, the Pioneers had cut their gap to 35-31, but a 13-8 run to open the second half increased the Scarlet Raptor lead to 48-39. Freshmen guard John Herndon (Philadelphia, PA/West Catholic Prep) notched seven points in that run.
 
William Paterson responded with a 13-point run to take its first lead of the game, 52-48. Sophomore forward Sean Smith (Moraga, CA/Campolindo) hit a pair of three-pointers in the run, while senior forward Richy Espinal (Ridgefield Park, NJ/Ridgefield Park) added four points.
 
The score changed hands four times and was tied twice over the next three minutes, with a jumper by Espinal putting Paterson ahead to stay, 61-59, with 10:56 remaining. That shot was part of a 12-point run that rallied the Pioneers from a 59-56 deficit to a 68-59 lead. Rutgers-Camden fought back and got as close as one point, 70-69, on a three-pointer by junior guard Juan Perez-Jones (Trenton, NJ/Pennsbury) with 4:45 remaining before Paterson scored nine of the next 11 points to make it a 79-71 game.
 
Rutgers-Camden closed to within five points after a trey by freshman guard Ian McCarthy (Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic) and two foul shots from junior guard Anthony Harris (Philadelphia, PA/Philadelphia Electrical & Technology), but that was the closest the Raptors got until the final margin.
 
Espinal finished with a double-double of 17 points and 10 boards for Paterson, while Smith and senior guard Dapo Badmos (Toronto, Canada/The Kiski School) both added 16 points. Freshman guard Domenic Mignone (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) added 10 points.
 
Badmos also dished out a game-high eight assists.
 
In addition to Destin's 25 points, Harris scored 12, senior guard Marcus Taylor (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) notched 11 and senior guard Vincent Anfield Jr. (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley) finished with 10 for the Scarlet Raptors.
 
Taylor and Anfield led the Raptors with five and four assists, respectively, while Anfield had a game-high three steals. Destin, pictured above, paced the team with seven rebounds and both clubs collected 29 boards.
 
Paterson shot 32-for-61 (52.5 percent) and Rutgers-Camden went 29-for-48 (60.4), but the Pioneers also had three more treys (11-8) and five fewer turnovers (18-13).
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to NJAC action Wednesday with a 6 p.m. game at The College of New Jersey.