PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. ­– On the back of a smothering defensive performance, the Pace University men's basketball team (10-5, 6-2 NE10) defeated Stonehill College (9-7, 5-5 NE10) by a score of 78-66 inside the Goldstein Fitness Center on Wednesday night.
 
The Skyhawks scored first to take a 2-0 lead, but the Setters would never trail again, eventually building up to a 26-point lead late in the second half.
 
Junior Bryan Powell (Middletown, N.Y./Canterbury School) led the way for Pace, tying his career-high of 27 points, on an 11-for-14 shooting display, and a perfect 3-for-3 from three, as well as leading the team with eight rebounds.
 
"I feel like our team shared the ball well and played like a unit tonight," said Powell. "We came into this game really focused and we knew we needed this win to get back on a winning streak. They had a run in the beginning of the second, but we were really focused as a team on bouncing back and their run didn't let us lose sight of what we needed to do."
 
Junior Christian Adams (New Haven, Conn./Hamden Hall) finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, in addition to blocking three shots.
 
Graduate student Brandon Jacobs (Cambria Heights, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) was the team's all-around motor, dishing out 11 assists, scoring six points, and gobbling up five rebounds.
 
Graduate student Austin Gilbertson (Etters, Pa./Trinity) knocked down four three-pointers for 14 points, while playing a game-high 37 minutes.
 
"It was a rough night for me turnover-wise, I felt like I wasn't doing anything right," lamented Gilbertson. "But then I started getting my rhythm and my shot was feeling a lot better, especially with the guys on this team finding me. When I'm in a good rhythm, I knock down shots."
 
After letting Bentley erase a lead in their last game, Pace was having none of that tonight.
 
"We had a lead versus Bentley last game, and it was similar tonight. They were trying to come back, but we didn't want to let that happen again. So, we barred down and stuck to defense, our calling card," said Gilbertson.
 
Pace's defense held Stonehill to 18-of-53 shooting (34.0%) from the field, including just 1-of-12 (8.3%) from downtown.
 
The Setters meanwhile were supremely efficient from the field, making 49.2% (30-61) of their total shots, and 45.8% (11-24) from beyond the arc.
 
Up Next
Pace hosts Saint Michael's College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.