RINDGE, N.H. – A late run by the home team could not take down the Setters, as the Pace University men's basketball team held on late for a 68-67 victory on the road over Franklin Pierce University Wednesday evening in Northeast-10 Conference action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
- A hot start had the Setters on top, 13-6, by the 14:50 mark, after freshman
Vinny Dalessandro (Levittown, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic), graduate student
Christian White (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute / Syracuse University) and junior
Evan Gordinier (Monmouth Beach, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) each drained threes in the opening minutes of the game.
- The Ravens then turned the tables, going on an 11-0 run to take a 17-13 lead with 10:27 left in the half.
- Sophomore
Ryan Peterson (Wethersfield, CT/St. Thomas More) halted the run with a three, sparking a 12-0 run for Pace to take the lead back at 25-17 with 7:18 to go in the frame.
- The Ravens netted the next six points to get back within two, but Gordinier hit another triple to keep Pace on top by five.
- Just over a minute later, Gordinier extended Pace's lead to eight with his third three-pointer of the game.
- The Setters' lead grew back to nine, but seven straight points for the Ravens got the home team back within two.
- Freshman
Jack McGuire (Brielle, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) halted the run after joining the Setters' three party to put them back up by five.
- Senior
Austin Mofunanya (Englewood, NJ/Dwight Morrow / Lincoln College of NE) laid one in at the 1:08 mark, accounting for the final points of the half and leaving Pace on top, 37-30.
HALFTIME LEADERS
- Gordinier made three triples in the first half and led all scorers with 11 points.
- Mofunanya added eight points and a team-high six boards in the first 20 minutes.
- The Setters totaled seven three-pointers in the opening frame.
- Franklin Pierce's Jordan Lackey led the Ravens with nine points, and matched Donte Gittens with a team-leading six rebounds.
SECOND HALF
- Pace held a comfortable lead throughout much of the second half before Franklin Pierce made a run to get within five with 7:42 left to play.
- Peterson helped the Setters regain their cushion with back-to-back long balls to make it a 64-53 game at the 5:42 mark.
- Franklin Pierce's Matt Banton then hit a three to cut the deficit back to single digits, but McGuire sank a jumper to put the Setters back up by 10.
- The game slowed down significantly over the final four minutes, but the home team found a way to pressure the Setters down the home stretch.
- Mike McDevitt hit a layup to cut the deficit to eight, and Banton later hit another three to make it a five-point game with the clock reading 2:15.
- A three by Lackey then got the Ravens within two with just 1:10 to go, but Lackey then fouled White and sent him to the line with 57 seconds to play.
- White was successful on both of his chance from the free-throw line, making it a two-possession game at 68-64 with under a minute remaining.
- After a timeout, Lackey hit another triple to get the home team back within one with 43 seconds still left on the clock.
- White attempted a jumper to improve Pace's lead, but he could not get it to go, giving the Ravens one final chance to win the game.
- Gittens attempted the game-winning jumper at the buzzer, but he could not put it through the hoop, securing the narrow victory for the Setters.
SETTER STATS
- White scored a career-high 21 points, including five threes, and dished out a team-leading six assists to lead the Setters to the win on the road.
- Gordinier finished with 13 points and three rebounds.
- Peterson picked up 11 points, five boards and matched White with two steals.
- Mofunanya tallied 10 points and eight rebounds.
RAVEN LEADERS
- Lackey led the Ravens with 18 points.
- Gittens ended up with 16 points and game-highs of nine boards and seven assists.
RECORDS
- Pace: 6-15 (3-10 NE10)
- Franklin Pierce: 10-9 (7-6 NE10)
UP NEXT
- The Setters return home on Saturday, Jan. 28, and welcome Southern New Hampshire University to the Goldstein Fitness Center for another NE10 matchup. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m.
- Saturday will be a Blue Out at Goldstein Fitness Center, and the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Setter Nation Pace Basketball t-shirt, sponsored by Northern Westchester Hospital.
- The Pace men's coaches will also be sporting sneakers with their suits on Saturday in support of Coaches vs. Cancer.
For all information regarding Pace University men's basketball log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace men's basketball on Twitter (
@PaceMBB).
