NJAC Tournament finals:
#10 William Paterson 70, Stockton 58

Santini Lancioni

Boxscore
Richard Stockton (20-7) was denied in its quest for a third consecutive NJAC championship as the Ospreys were defeated 70-58 by 10th-ranked William Paterson (25-2) in the NJAC title game. Santini Lancioni (Runnemede/Paul VI) led Stockton with 17 points followed by Pat Kelly (Cape May CH/Wildwood Catholic) with 12 points on four three-pointers. Omar Smith (Newark/Central) added 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Stockton opened the game by hitting its first nine field goal attempts and Lancioni scored eight points as the Ospreys opened up a 23-16 lead. William Paterson responded with a 13-4 run and pulled ahead 29-27. The teams battled back and forth for the rest of the half, which ended with Stockton leading 32-31. The Ospreys overcame 10 first-half turnovers by shooting a blistering 71 percent from the field, led by Lancioni with 11 points on 4-5 shooting.

A free throw by Kai Massaquoi (Lawnside/Haddon Hts.) gave Stockton a 38-34 lead early in the second half, but William Paterson used a 15-5 run to build a 49-43 advantage with 12:40 remaining. Although Stockton used a five-point spurt to get within 49-48 after a free throw by Smith at the 10:14 mark, the Ospreys could not regain the lead.

William Paterson later clinched the game with a 10-0 run as Stockton went scoreless for five minutes before Lancioni ended the drought with a three-pointer to cut the Pioneers’ lead to 64-55. The Ospreys then went the next three minutes without a point until Lancioni hit another trey for Stockton’s final points of the game.

Although Stockton shot 55 percent from the floor overall, its 20 turnovers and a determined William Paterson effort proved to be key factors. The Pioneers shot 59 percent in the second half, including 6-10 from three-point range and the Ospreys could not keep pace. Stockton scored just 26 points in the second frame, led by Lancioni and Kelly with six each, in falling short in its bid for a third straight NJAC championship, 70-58.