PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Seeing their first action of 2019, the Pace University men's basketball team earned a 67-61 win over Mercy College on Saturday afternoon inside the Goldstein Fitness Center. The victory improves the Setters' record to 10-4 this season.

Inside the Numbers
Peyton Wejnert (Point Pleasant, NJ/Southern Regional) led the Pace effort with one of his most efficient performances of the year. The junior forward finished with 17 points, making four of his six attempts from the field and 9-of-14 from the free-throw line. He also nabbed a team-best seven rebounds.

Brandon Jacobs (Cambria Heights, NY/Long Island Lutheran) began the New Year in similar fashion to how he finished 2018—facilitating the Pace offense. The sophomore dished out a game-high eight assists, in addition to chipping in 11 points of his own.

Greg Poleon (Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln / Coffeyville CC) also performed strong for the Setters, finishing as the second-leading scorer with 16 points. He also registered two blocks and a steal. Tyrone Cohen, Jr. (Woodside, NY/Christ the King / Holy Cross University / Broward College) helped out with nine points, five rebounds and a pair of steals.

How it Happened
The Setters' defense told much of the story against Mercy. Pace forced 15 turnovers, while limiting the Mavericks to 39.7-percent shooting from the field. Mercy made just 2 of their 19 attempts from three-point range, including an 0-for-10 stretch in the second half.

Following a tight majority of the first half, the Setters gained momentum in the final moments before the break. A quick 5-0 stretch put Pace up 30-26, while a fastbreak layup from Austin Gilbertson (Etters, PA/Trinity) with two seconds left provided a three-point edge into halftime.

Pace's surge continued into the second as the Setters scored the first four points out of the break. The Blue and Gold would then string together a 6-0 stretch to take a 52-41 lead with 8:30 remaining.

Two minutes later, the Setters gained their largest advantage of the game at 57-45. Facing the 12-point deficit, Mercy responded with a 10-1 run to cut the edge to just three, 58-55, with 3:32 left.

Pace's next possession featured an offensive rebound and layup from Cohen, Jr which sparked a quick 5-0 answer for the Setters, leading to an insurmountable eight-point lead with a little over a minute remaining.

The Setters' strong second half was highlighted by 50-percent shooting from the field (11-of-22), and a 13-of-18 effort from the free-throw line.

Up Next
Pace begins a stretch of 14 consecutive NE10 games when they host Southern New Hampshire University next Wednesday (Jan. 9) at 7:30 p.m.