PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University women's basketball team trailed Le Moyne College by 18 points with 6:17 left in the third quarter, but the Setters mounted a tremendous second-half comeback to defeat the Dolphins, 63-58, Tuesday evening in Northeast-10 Conference action at the Goldstein Fitness Center. The Setters split the season series with the Dolphins with Tuesday's victory.
DODGE'S BIG DAY
- Senior
Kirsten Dodge (Fabius, NY/Fabius-Pompey) produced one of the biggest games of her four-year career in Tuesday's win, completing a double-double with game-highs of 20 points and 15 rebounds.
- The 15 rebounds match her career-high, which she set back on Feb. 25, 2014, also against Le Moyne.
- Dodge also blocked two shots and picked up three steals in the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST QUARTER
- The Setters fell behind early in the game, as a 14-5 run to close out the opening frame gave the Dolphins a 23-11 advantage heading into the second quarter.
2ND QUARTER
- Pace narrowed the deficit down to seven points with 6:54 left in the second period, but were outscored the rest of the way, 9-5, and trailed 34-23 heading into the locker room.
HALFTIME STATS
- Dodge had 13 of Pace's 23 points at the break, and already had her double-double with 11 rebounds.
- Joanna Dobrovsky led Le Moyne with 13 points, eight boards and five blocks at the half.
THIRD QUARTER
- The Dolphins opened up the second half on an 8-1 run to claim a 42-24 advantage over the Setters with 6:17 left in the third.
- Graduate student
Jaclyn Oskam (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem Central / Quinnipiac University) then drained a three to start building momentum for the Setters.
- Later on, sophomore
Stefanie Svoboda (Ossining, NY/Ossining) added a triple of her own, making it a 44-32 game.
- The next time down the court, sophomore
Alexandra Monteleone (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) managed to lay one in to make it a 10-point difference.
- Monteleone came right back down the court and drained a three off a dish from Svoboda to cut the deficit to single digits.
- Svoboda then swiped the ball away from Le Moyne's Ailayia Demand, and dropped one in off a fast break to get within five.
- Demand then missed a three, and Monteleone came quickly down the court for a layup to cap off a 12-0 run that got the Setters within three points.
- Le Moyne's Liz Millea closed out the third with a three, but the Setters trailed by just six at 47-41 heading into the final stanza.
FOURTH QUARTER
- A slow pace to the game worked in the Setters' favor, as they managed to slowly turn the tables while keeping the Dolphins off the board.
- Dodge scored the first points of the quarter with two at the 9:24 mark, and a turnover by Nicole Riddick allowed Monteleone to score two more to leave the Setters down by just two.
- After a steal by freshman
Jackie DelliSanti (Commack, NY/Commack), Svoboda nailed a game-leading three from the far wing off a feed from Monteleone to put the Setters on top, 48-47, with 7:25 on the clock.
- A minute later, Svoboda returned the favor, dishing to Monteleone on the far wing for another long ball to give Pace a 51-47 advantage.
- A turnover by the Dolphins then led to two points for Dodge, giving the Setters a six-point edge with just six minutes remaining.
- Le Moyne's McKayla Roberts tried to cut the Setters' lead in half, but her three did not go, and senior
Christina Rubin (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic / Iona College) made them pay with a triple of her own to stretch Pace's lead to nine.
- Le Moyne's Ellie Leszyk was then found trying a three, sending her to the line, where she made all three chances.
- The Dolphins scored again on each of their next two possessions, accumulating seven straight points to draw within two with 3:58 still on the clock.
- Svoboda halted the run with another three, but Dobrovosky quickly responded with a good jumper for the Dolphins.
- Monteleone then quickly ran down the court and laid one in off the glass to once again make it a five-point Setter lead with just 1:50 left to play.
- A pair of free throws for Leszyk got the Dolphins back within three, but Riddick was unable to tie the game with a three on their next possession, forcing Le Moyne to foul.
- The Setters could not get either of two foul shots to go, giving the Dolphins another shot to tie with just 13 seconds left.
- Roberts was unable to make a three, but Dobrovosky pulled down the rebound and eventually got it to Riddick, who was also unable to hit from long range.
- A hard loose-ball foul by Roberts sent Rubin to the line with the clock reading 00.2, and she made both chances to close out the game with a five-point comeback victory.
SETTER STATS
- Monteleone tallied 14 of her 16 points in the second half, and fell just short of a double-double with a season-high nine rebounds.
- Svoboda scored 11 of her 13 points in the final 20 minutes, including a trio of clutch three-pointers. She also led the Setters with three assists.
- Pace shot 50 percent (14-of-28) from the field in the second half, and 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from three-point range in mounting a late comeback.
DOLPHIN LEADERS
- Dobrovosky finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks to lead the Dolphins on Tuesday.
- Riddick and Demand each added 12 points.
- The Dolphins shot just 25 percent (7-of-28) in the second half, including 2-of-17 (11.8 percent) from behind the arc, after shooting 46.9 percent (15-of-32) from the field in the first 20 minutes.
RECORDS
- Pace: 11-13 (5-11 NE10)
- Le Moyne: 13-10 (9-8 NE10)
WHAT'S NEXT?
- The Setters hit the road on Saturday, Feb. 11, to visit American International College in Springfield, Mass. for another NE10 matchup. The game is set to tip off at 1:30 p.m.
For all information regarding Pace University women's basketball, log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Women's Basketball on Facebook (
Pace Women's BBall), Twitter (
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