PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – In a battle of two of the top teams in the region, the 23rd-ranked Pace University men's basketball team was edged at Jefferson University, 64-55, on Thursday night. The loss shifts the Setters' record to 9-2 this season, while the Rams improve to 7-1.
Pace was led by a trio of players in double figures on Thursday night. Junior Brandon Jacobs (Cambria Heights, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) orchestrated a large portion of the offense, finishing with 15 points and eight assists.
It is the sixth time this season that Jacobs has tallied at least eight helpers in a game. He currently leads the nation in total assists this season (88).
Austin Gilbertson (Etters, Pa./Trinity) and Christian Adams (New Haven, Conn./Hamden Hall) supplemented the Pace attack with a combined 23 points. Adams also served as the Setters' top rebounder with nine boards on the night.
Bryan Powell (Middletown, N.Y./Canterbury School) chipped in seven rebounds of his own to go along with seven points.
After trailing by 10 at the break (28-18), Pace battled back in a tight second half. The Setters rattled off a 9-0 stretch to begin the final 20 minutes, cutting the lead to just one.
Pace would eventually even the score up at 30-30 at the 15:22 mark. From there, it was a back-and-forth race to the finish.
Following four lead changes and four more ties across the final 15 or so minutes, Jefferson found just enough separation with a little over a minute left in regulation.
A deep three-pointer from Josh Bradanese at the 1:06 mark provided the Rams with a 58-52 lead.
Up Next
The Setters will be back home on Saturday, welcoming the College of Staten Island to town for a 3 p.m. start.
