PLESANTVILLE, N.Y.- Jonathan Merceus (Union, NJ/Union) (Union, NJ/Union) turned in a double-double effort with 20 points and 10 rebounds and in the process joined the 500-rebound club as the Setters fell to the Greyhounds of Assumption College 66-54 in Northeast-10 Conference action. The Setters fall to 9-16 and 6-15 in the NE-10, while the Greyhounds improve to 19-6 and 16-5 in conference play.
The first ten minutes a back and forth rally between the two teams with David Eismeier (Burke, VA/Bishop O'Connell) (Burke, VA/Bishop O'Connell) pulling Pace even at 10 on a put-back basket. The Greyhounds netted the next seven points as they took a 17-10 lead with 8:25 left in the half. Pace answered over the next seven minute as they Setters eventually evened the score at 22 on a Keon Williams (Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack/Iona College) (Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack/Iona College) three-point play with 1:06 remaining in the opening half. Assumption traded points with the Setters and Jimmy Zenevitch hit a jumper just before the closing buzzer the give the Greyhounds a 27-24 lead at the break.
Assumption extended their lead into the second half as they took their biggest lead of the game on a Kevin Donohue four-point play at the 7:13 mark to give the Greyhounds a 56-39 lead. The Setters cut it to 12 points at the 3:34 mark but were unable to get any closer. Assumption pushed it back to 17 points with 1:57 on the clock and held off a late flurry by the Setters in the final 1:15 of the game.
For Pace, Merceus becomes the 20th member of Pace's 500-rebound club and the second to hit that milestone this season as he joined his teammate Williams. Denzel Primus-Devonish (Riverdale, MD/St. John's College) (Riverdale, MD/St. John's College) finished with 16 points and three assists, while Williams added five points and six rebounds. Salvatore Vitello (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) tallied 11 points, three rebounds and three steals for the Setters.
The Setters wrap up their season on the road on Tuesday, February 26 as they travel to Syracuse, NY for a Northeast-10 Conference clash against Le Moyne College at 7:30 pm.
