ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – Fueled by a strong second half, the Pace University men's basketball team rattled off a 70-55 victory over Molloy College on Saturday afternoon. The Setters have now won three in a row, upping their record to 5-9 on the season.

Inside the Numbers
*Pace showed off its offensive balance with nine different scorers, including three in double figures. In fact, nine Setters recorded at least two field goals in the game.

*Austin Gilbertson (Etters, PA/Trinity), Brandon Jacobs (Cambria Heights, NY/Long Island Lutheran) and Ray Montilus (Union, NJ/Pope John XXII) led the Pace offense, combining for 35 points. Gilbertson finished with a team-high 13 points, while Jacobs and Montilus recorded 12 and 10 respectively. Gilbertson also led the squad in rebounding with a season-high nine boards.

*Luke McLaughlin (Blauvelt, NY/Tappan Zee) was a strong performer for the Blue and Gold as well, tallying nine points, six rebounds and four assists.

*Defensively, the Setters forced 18 Molloy turnovers (14 in the first half) and limited the Lions to just 36-percent shooting from the floor (22-of-61). Molloy made just 8-of-26 from beyond the three-point line (30.8 percent).

*Montilus was a menace on the defensive end of the floor, notching three blocks and three steals. He also tied for the team lead in assists with four.

*After taking a one-point lead into the break, Pace outscored the Lions by a 42-28 margin in the second half. The Setters made 16 of their 32 shots (50 percent) from the floor after halftime. Gilbertson put in 11 of his 13 points in the second 20 minutes.

How it Happened
The Setters opened up the scoring with the first three points of the contest, the only points that would be scored over the first four minutes. Molloy knotted the score up with their first bucket of the day, setting the tone for the remainder of the half where both offenses would trade multiple leads. Pace built their lead up to as much as five on three occasions over the following seven minutes, but the Lions never let the Blue and Gold distance themselves in the half. The Lions would take a pair of one-point leads in the final five minutes, including a 27-26 advantage with 1:49 left on the clock. Kevin Seymour (Bronx, NY/Blair Academy / Central Connecticut State University) retook the lead for Pace with a final-minute layup, putting the Setters ahead 28-27 at the half.

Pace was able to find separation from the Lions to open up the second half, opening the period with a 16-5 scoring advantage over the first four and a half minutes to go up 44-32. The offensive burst proved to be too much for Molloy to recover from, as the Setters were able to hold their lead around double digits for the remainder of regulation. The Blue and Gold advantage never fell below seven points, with the Setters going up by 15 in the closing minute to earn the 70-55 victory.

Up Next
The Setters begin the New Year with a trip to Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday evening. Pace and SNHU are set for a 7:30 tipoff in Manchester.