Pleasantville, N.Y.- Jonathan Merceus (Union, NJ/Union) (Union, NJ / Union) scored a double-double and Keon Williams (Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack/Iona College) (Hackensack, NJ / Hackensack/Iona College) surpassed his 1,000 career point as the Setters downed the Riverhawks of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, 76-63. The Setters advance to 8-7 overall and 5-6 in the Northeast-10 Conference while the Riverhawks drop to 10-5 and 6-5 in the conference.
The Setters started off slow as the Riverhawks went on a 2-6 run in the first five minutes of the game but ended up responding and tying the score twice over the next two minutes. The Riverhawks then scored three layups and a triple to go up by seven points with 8:06 to go in the half. The Setters kept within seven points over the duration of the half until the Riverhawks took their largest lead with 2:06 to go. Four free-throws from Williams and a triple from Denzel Primus-Devonish (Riverdale, MD/St. John's College) (Riverdale, MD / St. John's College) allowed the Setters to minimize the point deficit to three points to go into halftime down three, 27-30.
The Setters came out strong in the second half taking a one-point lead in the first minute on a jump-shot from Primus-Devonish. The Riverhawks gained the lead back for the last time at 15:38 before the Setters went on a 7-0 run. UMass-Lowell attempted to answer over the next few minutes but the Setters didn't miss as they took an 11 point lead with 7:51 to go. Pace maintained a lead of seven points or more until they took their largest lead by 13 with 2:50 to go, 68-55. They continued to hold a double-digit lead through the rest of the game as Primus-Devonish solidified the win with four made free-throws before the clock ran out.
Pace out-scored the Riverhawks in the paint 42-20 and on second-chance attempts 10-6. The Setters went 28-61 from the field, 4-14 from three-point range and 16-21 from the free-throw line while the Riverhawks shot 22-66 from the field, 8-27 from the outside and 11-14 from the line.
Antonio Bivins led the Riverhawks with 18 points, eight rebounds, four steals and two blocks while Akeem Williams added 15 points. Chad Holley contributed 10 points and Kennedy Chukwuocha pulled down 12 boards.
Merceus led the Setters with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Williams was just shy of a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds. Williams, a transfer from Iona where he totaled 67 points, surpassed 1,000 points with a total of 935 career points at Pace. Primus-Devonish finished with 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals while Kai Smith (Upper Marlboro, MD / St. Mary's Ryken) added eight points, seven rebounds and four steals.
The Setters will host Southern New Hampshire University Wednesday, January 23 for a 7:30 pm conference match-up.
