JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior center Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds and scored nine points but it wasn't enough as New Jersey City University fell to William Paterson University, 59-38, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action inside the John J. Moore Athletic and Fitness Center ("Coach Charlie Brown Court") on January 25.
 
NJCU (4-15, 0-12 NJAC, Lost 7) scored just seven points in the opening quarter against William Paterson as it got off to another short-handed slow start.
 
In addition to 19 boards (12 defensive) and nine points (3-6 FG), Haxhaj swatted away a career-high five blocks in 39 minutes. Senior guard Marcielle Richards (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) started her fifth-straight game and scored a career-high 10 points (3-5 FG).
 
Freshman forward/center Atonie Johnson (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) tied a career-high with 12 rebounds (nine defensive) in 23 minutes. Freshman guard Iyannah Moore (Newark, N.J./University) scored eight points.
 
William Paterson (12-7, 7-5 NJAC) extended its winning streak to four games as all 10 players who suited up scored and played 12 minutes or more. The Pioneer reserves outscored NJCU's backups, 32-10.
 
Off the bench, junior guard Ashley Palmieri (Edison, N.J.) led the balanced Pioneers attack as she scored nine of her 15 points from beyond the arc. She shot 3-of-4 from three and 6-of-9 overall in only 23 minutes of action. Freshman guard Gabby Harris (South River, N.J.) scored 10 points (4-11 FG) and grabbed six rebounds (four offensive) in 22 minutes. Freshman guard Kristina Ulrich (Secaucus, N.J.) added nine points.
 
In defeat, NJCU was unable to score more than 12 points in any quarter as the Pioneers led 31-19 at the half despite lackluster shooting (6-26, .231) in the first quarter. After shooting 7-of-15 in the second period, the Pioneers were red-hot in the third quarter as they shot 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) to take a 23-point lead (53-30) with 1:07 left in the third quarter. Despite shooting 3-of-16 and only scoring six points in the fourth quarter, WP's defense limited NJCU to only eight fourth-quarter points.
 
William Paterson turned the ball over 14 times less than NJCU (28-14) as the Pioneers racked up a 24-4 margin in points off giveaways.

 
OF NOTE:

• 71st meeting. William Paterson has won four straight contests between the two sides and leads the all-time series, 60-11.
• Shege Haxhaj grabbed double-digits rebounds for the sixth straight game and the seventh time this season. Her double-double streak ends at three games.
• Haxhaj had a career-high five blocks. Her previous best was three blocks against Stockton on February 10, 2016 and February 1, 2016 against Kean.
• Haxhaj is the first Gothic Knights women's basketball player to record 19 or more rebounds in a game since Bria Smith secured 22 rebounds on January 12, 2015 against St. Joseph's-Brooklyn. Her previous high was 15 rebounds at Rutgers-Newark on January 18.
• Atonie Johnson last grabbed 12 rebounds in a game against Stockton on January 11, 2016. It's the fourth time this season Johnson has recorded double-digit rebounds in a game.
• Marcielle Richards scored double digits in a game for the first time in her career. Her previous career-high was eight points against John Jay College on November 15, 2015.
• Senior guard/forward Jazz Randall (Parsippany, N.J./West Orange), a three-year team co-captain, played 23 minutes against William Paterson after missing the previous three games due to injury.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?:
NJCU is on the road on Saturday, January 28 against The College of New Jersey in the late game (3 p.m.) of an NJAC doubleheader in Ewing, N.J. The Lions (8-10, 5-7 NJAC, Lost 3), are currently a game and a half behind Rutgers-Camden for the sixth and final NJAC Tournament berth. TCNJ leads the all-time series, 56-3 and has won the last 16 meetings, including an 82-62 decision in Jersey City on December 10. It will be the 60th meeting.