WATERBURY, Conn. – Senior guard
Shelton Mickell (Queens, NY/Cardozo / Central Connecticut State) netted a team-high 17 points, but the Pace University men's basketball team shouldered a 72-58 defeat at Post University Thursday afternoon. The Setters fall to 5-7 on the season, while Post improves to 8-4 overall.
Mickell split his contributions evenly between the two halves, scoring eight in the first frame, and then adding nine in the second. He also grabbed four rebounds. Sophomore guard
Bryan Rivers (West Windsor, NJ/Peddie School) grabbed a game-high four steals. Senior forward
Kyle Pearson (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge / Fairleigh Dickinson University) scored 13 and pulled down a team-high seven boards.
The Eagles took an early 12-6 lead in Thursday's contest, but a 6-0 run for the Setters knotted the game up at 12. Later in the half, Mickell drained a three to put Pace up, 17-15. The Eagles tallied the next five, but another three by Mickell tied the game at 20-20. Post closed out the half scoring 8-of-12 points to take a 28-24 advantage into halftime.
A layup by Pearson got Pace within six at the 15:52 mark in the second frame. The Eagles then went on an 11-2 stretch, taking a 48-33 edge over the Setters. Late in the game, Mickell scored six straight points to get Pace back within nine, but the Eagles were able to prevent a Setter rally, holding on for the win.
Tyler Desrosiers led Post with 23 points on Thursday. Tamas Okros followed with 16 points and a game-best eight rebounds. Malcolm Amos contributed 10 points and handed out four assists.
The Setters held a 35-33 edge in rebounds on Thursday, including 13 offensive boards leading to 11 second-chance points. Pace got a big boost from its bench, which outscored the Post reserves, 25-7.
The Setters will look to bounce back in their first game of 2016, as they travel to Adelphi University on Saturday, Jan. 2, for a Northeast-10 Conference matchup with the Panthers. Tip-off is slated for 3:30 p.m. immediately following the women's basketball matchup between Pace and Adelphi.
For all information regarding Pace University men's basketball log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace men's basketball on Twitter (
@PaceMBB).
