PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – A valiant effort from the Pace University men's basketball team came up just short on Saturday afternoon in a 75-74 defeat to Bentley University at the Goldstein Fitness Center.

Inside the Numbers
*Peyton Wejnert (Point Pleasant, NJ/Southern Regional) was an offensive force for the Setters, tying a career-high 26 points. It was an efficient effort for the sophomore, needing only 14 shots to get there. He also put in 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.

*Brandon Jacobs (Cambria Heights, NY/Long Island Lutheran) and Greg Poleon (Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln / Coffeyville CC) joined Wejnert in double figures, registering 17 and 15 points respectively. Jacobs also led the team in rebounds with seven, while Wejnert nabbed six of his own.

*Freshman Austin Gilbertson (Etters, PA/Trinity) dished out a team-high four assists, to go along with five rebounds.

*The Setters knocked in a nine three-pointers, which marked their second-highest total of the season. They finished the game 11-of-13 from the free-throw line.

*On the other side, Bentley recorded 15 long balls on 34 attempts (44.1 percent). The Falcons made five more shots from beyond the arc than two-pointers.

How it Happened
The Setters controlled most of the momentum in the first half, holding the lead throughout. After quickly going down 8-2, the Setters rallied to take a 15-14 lead at the 13:25 mark. Pace would then string together an 11-0 run to build up their edge to 21-14, and then a 10-4 stretch to nab their largest lead of the game at 31-18 with less than five minutes to play. Wejnert was key to the home team's success, tallying 16 of his points in the first half.

Down 13 with 4:56 remaining before halftime, Bentley closed strong. A 9-0 run brought the Falcons within four, while a three-pointer from Ryan Richmond put the Pace lead at 33-30 at halftime.

The Blue and Gold continued their sharp play out of the locker room, as back-to-back three-balls from Jacobs and Gilbertson put them back up six just three minutes into the half. Another long ball from Jacobs, plus one from Kevin Smith (New Haven, CT/South Kent), extended the Pace edge to 53-42 while a pair of Wejnert free throws provided the Setters with their largest advantage of the second half at 54-43 with 13:41 left.

Bentley's comeback surge began at the 10:54 mark with a Seth Stankiewicz three-pointer sparking a 17-2 run that gave the visitors a 68-63 lead at the 6:28 mark. Pace answered back with four straight points courtesy of an and-one from Poleon and a Wejnert free throw, cutting the lead to one. Bentley's Zach Gilpin quickly answered with a three-pointer followed by a pair of free throws from Chris Hudson to put Bentley back up six with under three-and-half left. Bentley would recapture the edge with free throws on their next possession.

The Setters would not go quietly, however, as a 7-0 run—capped off by a put-back from Poleon—gave the home team a 74-73 lead with 90 seconds on the clock. Bentley would recapture the edge with free throws on their next possession.

Down 75-74 with just 1:21 remaining, the Blue and Gold would go on to have two chances to take the lead, but a pair of missed three-pointers—the final one coming just before the final buzzer—would lift Bentley to the one-point win.

Up Next
The Setters will stay home for a contest against American International College on Wednesday night (Jan. 31), beginning at 7:30 p.m. It will be LGBTQ Pride Hoops Night inside the Goldstein Fitness Center.