CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 17, 2026) – The nationally-ranked William Paterson University women's basketball team went on a 10-point run early in the first quarter to wipe out a 4-0 deficit and the Pioneers ended up racing past Rutgers University-Canden 77-54, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.
 
Paterson, ranked #21 nationally in the WBCA Division III Coaches' Poll and receiving votes in the D3hoops.com poll, improved to 15-1 overall and a conference-leading 9-0 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden fell to 8-8 overall and 5-4 in the NJAC.
 
Paterson leads the all-time series, 69-12, although Rutgers-Camden had won the previous four games in the series.
 
After Rutgers-Camden took a quick 4-0 lead, the Pioneers leaned on their two star senior forwards, Patty Walsh and Renee Wells, to score the next 10 points. Walsh had three field goals and Wells added two in the run. By the end of the first quarter, the Pioneers held a 21-10 lead and increased the margin to 42-24 by halftime.
 
Wells finished with 19 points, while junior guard Mattison Chiera netted 14, Walsh caned 12 and sophomore guard Kaelyn Gowdy added 11. Walsh also had nine rebounds as the Pioneers won the battle of the boards, 42-37.
 
Rutgers-Camden received 15 points from sophomore forward Courtney Edmundo, who added 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Sophomore guard Hope Goodwine netted 14 points, including 10-for-12 shooting from the foul line. Junior guard/forward Tamea El scored 10 points for the Scarlet Raptors.
 
William Paterson shot 29-for-61 from the floor (47.5 percent) and 16-for-21 (76.2) from the foul line. Rutgers-Camden went 17-for-59 (28.8) from the floor and 20-for-26 (76.9) from the line.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to NJAC action on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. game at Rutgers-Newark.