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Rutgers-Newark Women's Basketball Highlights

WAYNE, N.J. (January 8, 2016) - The Rutgers University-Newark women's basketball team will head to William Paterson University Saturday afternoon for a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) showdown with the rival Pioneers beginning at 1 p.m.

Rutgers-Newark (5-8 overall, 1-5 NJAC) is coming off a tough conference loss to Rutgers University-Camden, while William Paterson (7-6 overall, 3-3 NJAC) earned a 76-50 victory over Rowan University in its last outing.

Since a brief holiday break, the Scarlet Raiders have gone 1-2, splitting a pair of games at the Salem State University Holiday Tournament to close 2015 and falling to the Scarlet Raptors Wednesday night.

Senior guard Arianna Williams and junior guard Maria Simmons have been leading the Raiders throughout the season, with junior guard Shala Glenn and sophomore forward Nikki Sammartino coming on strong of late. Sammartino has at least five rebounds in 10 games this season and six-straight, and she had an eight-point, six-rebound, four-steal performance on Wednesday. Glenn is third on the team in scoring and is coming off her first double-double of the season, while Simmons is the reigning NJAC Player of the Week and Williams has scored 20-plus points in six-straight games.

In terms of NJAC ranks, Simmons leads the conference in assists, averaging 6.5 per game and steals with 55. She is second in the league in scoring, pouring in 21.8 points per game. The Irvington native is third nationally in assists (84), seventh in field goals made (seventh) and first in the nation in steals. Williams is fourth in the conference in scoring (19.1 points per game), ninth in rebounding and second in three-point field-goals per game (2.8).

As a team, the Scarlet Raiders are fourth in the conference in steals, averaging 12.5 per game, third in three-point field-goal percentage (29.3 percent) and fourth in field-goal percentage (38.6 percent).

William Paterson is third in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 58.2 points per game, second in free-throw percentage (67.8 percent), second in three-point field-goal percentage defense (24.2 percent), third in rebounding (44.8 per game), first in rebounding margin (plus 7.9) and third in offensive rebounds per game (16.8).

The Pioneers are led by senior forward Alex Milne and senior guard Brittany Harden who are both averaging more than 10 points per game, while the pair sit one and two on the squad in rebounding.

Paterson swept the season series a season ago, earning a 10-point win in The Golden Dome and an eight-point victory in Wayne. The two teams split the season series in 2013-14, with the Scarlet Raider victory coming on December 7, 2013 in Newark.

Fans can follow all of Saturday's action from Wayne via live stats and audio links at www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com.