JAMAICA, N.Y.—The York College men's basketball team got off to a fast start and then was able to hold off a late run to defeat William Paterson, 89-77, in a non-conference contest at home on Monday night.
 
It was a nice win for the Cardinals, who have had trouble with the Pioneers in recent years.  York dropped four of the previous five contests to William Paterson coming into this game.
 
The Cardinals used a complete team effort to get the victory. Chad Coachman, in just his second game with the team, scored 19 points and dished out eight assists. Ryan Smart added 19 points, nine boards and three steals and Rashaan Bailey recorded nine points, 13 rebounds and two steals. Anthony Mason also chipped in nine points and 13 boards.
 
William Paterson got a game-high 31 points from Bright Mensah, who did most of his damage from the free throw line (15-of-18).
 
The Cardinals came out hot from the start, taking a 13-point advantage (24-11) just ten minutes into the contest.  Coachman was the catalyst, scoring five points and handing out four assists in the stretch.  York took a 12-point cushion into halftime.
 
The Pioneers turned things around in the second half, going on s 14-2 run midway through the second half, to lower the deficit to just two points.
 
The game continued to be tight, but York never relinquished the lead.  A turning point in the game came with just under five minutes to play, when a steal by Smart led to a three-point play by Mason.  The sequence gave York a some breathing room, making the score 72-66.  The Cardinals were then able to push the lead back to double digits on Smart lay-up a few possessions later, and they never looked back from there.
 
The Cardinals improve to 4-11, while William Paterson drops to 7-7.  York returns to action on Wednesday when they host rival the College of Staten Island at 8 p.m.