PLEASANTVILLE, NY- Senior forward Jonathan Merceus (Union, NJ/Union) (Union, NJ/Union) posted a double-double as the Pace men's basketball team outlasted the Owls of Southern Connecticut State University 80-78 in a classic overtime thriller. Sophomore guard Nick Jackson (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) tipped in the tying points to force overtime, while sophomore forward Jaylen Mann (Youngstown, OH/Liberty) (Youngstown, OH/Liberty) netted the go-ahead triple in the extra frame to give the Setters the lead for good. The Setters handed the Owls their first loss of the season as Southern Connecticut falls to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference, while the Setters improve to 1-4 and 1-2 in conference play.

The Owls build an eight points lead at 21-13 with 13:01 left in the opening half. The Setters chipped away, closing to within one point four times over a three-minute stretch and eventually forged ahead to a four-point lead at the 7:29 mark on a Jackson trifecta. Southern Connecticut used a 14-1 run to pull ahead by nine points at 41-32 with 3:30 left in the half and took a 45-38 advantage into halftime.

Southern Connecticut continued to add to their halftime lead early in the second half, pushing it to double digits at 53-43 with 17:29 left in regulation. The Setters began to make their move at this point, slowly chipping ahead at the Owl lead. The Owls led 61-53 at the midway of the second half before the Setters rallied with a 13-1 run to pull ahead by three points. Merceus tallied five points in the run, including the go-ahead bucket, while Jamaal James (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn College Academy) (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn College Academy) capped the run with a lay-up to give Pace a 66-63 lead with 5:57 on the clock.

The Owls countered with a 5-0 burst to retake a two-point lead with under four minutes to play in regulation. Ahmad George (Bowie, MD/Archbishop Carroll) (Bowie, MD/Archbishop Carroll) knotted the score at 68 with a pair of free throws at the 3:28 mark. Southern Connecticut took a two-point lead with just under a minute left in the second half. The Setters missed a pair of shots with around 30 seconds left but were able to force a critical turnover with under 10 seconds on the clock to set up Jackson's heroics. Mann missed a triple from the left side, as Jackson swooped in to bank in the tip-in at the buzzer sounded to force overtime.

In the extra period, the Setters looked to take control early as Merceus hit a lay-up and Jackson went 2-for-2 at the line to give Pace a four-point lead in the first minute of play. The Owls answered with an 8-2 run to pull ahead by two points at 78-76 with 2:21 remaining in overtime. The teams traded turnovers and missed shots over the next minute and a half. Mann stepped up for the Setters as he connected on the go-ahead triple with 26 seconds on the clock. On the ensuing Owls' possession, they missed the front end of a 1-and-1 opportunity. Jackson snagged the rebound and hit 1-of-2 at the line for two-point lead with 11 seconds to play. Southern Connecticut had one final shot as Greg Langston's three-ball hit back iron as the Setters held on for their first win of the season.

For the Setters, Merceus tallied 23 points, 15 rebounds along with four assists and two blocks to lead five players with double figures. James totaled 14 points and nine rebounds, while Mann added 11 points, eight boards and three steals. Jackson came off the bench to post 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three steals. Kevin Berardini (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) added 11 points in a reserve role, logging 32 minutes off the bench.

The Setters hit the road this weekend for a non-conference tilt in Lakewood, NJ against the Lions of Georgian Court University on Saturday, November 30 at 2 pm.