PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Senior guard
Shelton Mickell (Queens, NY/Cardozo / Central Connecticut State) picked up a team-high 20 points, but the Pace University men's basketball team fell to the Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division leader Bentley University, 73-55, in NE-10 action at the Goldstein Fitness Center on Wednesday. The loss drops the Setters to 7-12 on the year and 4-7 against the NE-10, while Bentley keeps the top spot in its division at 10-1 in NE-10 play and 13-3 overall.
Mickell tallied 12 of his 20 points in the second half as the Setters tried to rally back from behind late in the game. It's his fourth 20-point performance of the season and his third in the last four games.
The Setters took the early advantage in Wednesday's matchup, scoring the first four points and taking a 6-4 lead in the first four minutes. Bentley then scored four straight to take an 8-6 lead. The Falcons stretched their lead out to as many as six points in the first frame, but the Setters fought back late in the period.
A 6-0 capped off by back-to-back layups by Mickell tied the game at 27-27 with four minutes to play until the break. Both teams traded baskets down the stretch, the last one scored on a jumper by freshman guard
Luke McLaughlin (Blauvelt, NY/Tappan Zee) with 31 seconds left pushed the game into the halftime with an even 31-31 score.
Three-pointers by Tyler McFardland and Keegan Hyland early on in the second stanza put the Falcons up by six points less than three minutes in. A three by Ryan Richmond at the 11:50 mark increased the lead to nine, and later became 12 on a layup by Alex Furness. Bentley kept control of the game for the rest of the half to pick up the win.
Junior forward
Austin Mofunanya (Englewood, NJ/Dwight Morrow / Lincoln College of NE) netted 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds in his fourth start of the season. He also blocked three shots, and has now blocked at least one in five straight games. Sophomore guard
Bryan Rivers (West Windsor, NJ/Peddie School) grabbed a team-high nine boards and added eight points.
Bentley's McFarland scored a game-high 30 points and completed a double-double with 10 rebounds. Brandon Wheeler tallied 13 points and grabbed nine boards. Hyland had a team-best 12 rebounds.
The Setters next play on Saturday, Jan. 23, when they travel out to Worcester, Mass. to take on Assumption College in NE-10 action. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
For all information regarding Pace University men's basketball log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace men's basketball on Twitter (
@PaceMBB).
