Box Score WAYNE, N.J. -- Despite holding a 44-42 advantage at intermission, the FDU-Florham men's basketball team (0-1, 0-0 MAC) dropped their season opener to the William Paterson University Pioneers (1-0) 96-77 on Friday night.

Pioneers junior guard Sandy Burgos scorched the Devils for 41 points, including 4-for-6 from three-point range to lead the home team's second-half barrage.

The Devils jumped out to an early 10-4 lead thanks to long-balls from Trevor Sykes (Staten Island, N.Y./St, Peter's Boys) and Kevin Furlong (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan).

A back-and-forth first half of play was capped by a lay-up from Devils senior forward Matt Argudo (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan). Argudo had a strong first half, totaling 11 points along with five rebounds and one block. Argudo's basket sent FDU-Florham into the break with a two-point lead.

The Pioneers stormed out of the gates early in the second half and mounted an 11-2 run which built them a double-digit lead. The Devils brought the game within eight points (64-56) but William Paterson senior guard Javae King-Gilchrist led a 10-2 Pioneer run to rebuild a lead they would not relinquish.

FDU-Florham shot 26-62 (41.9%) from the field but struggled from downtown, shooting just 27 percent (6-22). The Pioneers thrived from three-point land, knocking down 13 long-balls on 22 attempts.

Devils senior big man Will Green (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) notched a double-double, with 16 points and a game-high 11 boards in the loss. John Flete (Flemington, N.J./North Hampton CC) led the Devils in scoring with 18 points including 3-for-6 on three-pointers.

Next up for the Devils:
Florham takes on St. Mary's College of Maryland in their home-opener on Monday, November 18^th, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.