Pleasantville, N.Y.- Jessica Scannell (Cork, Ireland/St. Vincents) (Cork, Ireland / St. Vincents) scored the game-winning shot in the final seconds of the game as the Setters took the win over the Penmen of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), 50-49. The Setters advance to 9-7 overall and 7-5 in the NE-10 Conference while the Penmen fall to 8-8 overall and 5-7 in the conference.
The teams came out battling for a lead in the first half, tying the score twice in the first five minutes until Pace took their first lead of the game on a layup from Yuni Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Long Island Lutheran) (Poughkeepsie, NY / Long Island Lutheran). The Setters would hold that lead, but the Penmen would stay within five points over the next ten minutes. Two back-to-back layups allowed the Setters to go up by eight points with 2:50 to go in the half, 20-12. Allison Cleary (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall Central) (New Windsor, NY / Cornwall Central) connected on a triple with 23 seconds to go in the half to take their largest lead of the half, by nine points. The Penmen were unable to answer as time ran out and the Setters went into halftime ahead 25-16.
The Setters scored 18 points in the paint and seven points on second-chance attempts while the Penmen went 12-0, respectively. Pace went 11-25 from the field and 2-4 from the free-throw line while SNHU shot 7-25 from the field and 2-8 from the line.
The Setters took their largest lead of the game, by 11, on the first points scored of the second half, a jump-shot from Margo Hackett (Pawling, NY/Pawling) (Pawling, NY / Pawling). They were able to maintain a healthy lead the first five minutes but the Penmen started to come to life on after free-throw shots made by Sloane Sorrell. The Penmen minimized the point differential and took their first lead of the half with ten minutes to go. The teams would trade the lead three times over and tie twice the next five minutes. A jump-shot from Brianna Harris (Brentwood, NY/Mary Louis Academy) (Brentwood, NY / Mary Louis Academy) and layup from Brittany Shields (Cold Spring, NY / Haldane) brought the Setters up by four to lead 48-44 with 4:07 to go in regulation. Two layups and a free-throw from the Penmen allowed for them to gain the lead back by one point with 2:09 left in regulation.
Scannell scored the final points of the game on a layup with 21 seconds to go in regulation to put the Setters ahead by one point, 50-49. The Penmen attempted to answer but were unsuccessful in their efforts as time ran out which named the Setters the winners.
The Penmen out-shot the Setters 34-32 in the paint and 13-10 off of turnovers but Pace scored 11 on second-chance attempts, to their two points. SHNU went 20-49 from field-goal range, 2-8 from three-point range and 7-14 from the free-throw line, while the Setters finished at 22-52 from the field, 2-12 from the outside and 4-8 from the line.
Sorrell led the Penmen with 23 points and seven rebounds. Michelle DeRoma finished with eight points, four rebounds and three assists while Victoria Wiseman added six points and five rebounds.
Shields led Pace with 14 points and nine rebounds while Allison Cleary (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall Central) added 13 points and three assists. Sher finished with eight points and eight rebounds while Harris pulled down nine boards and Scannell contributed four assists.
The Setters will travel to Franklin Pierce University on Saturday, January 26 for a 1:30 pm conference match-up.
