PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University men's basketball team used a late game rally to come from behind and defeat Mercy College at home, 74-65, to improve to a 3-0 to start their season.
 
The Setters, ranked 23rd nationally in the D2SIDA poll this week, went into halftime up eight and ballooned the lead to 51-37 with 12:34 remaining in the second half, at which point the Mavericks went on a seven-and-a-half minute, 22-7, run to snatch a 59-58 lead with a little over five minutes remaining in the contest.
 
Mercy extended their advantage to 65-60 after a Joe Braelon steal led to a Sean Smith, Jr. three-pointer with four minutes left. Pace head coach Matt Healing immediately called a timely time-out and subbed in freshman guard Chaz Harvey (Chicago, Ill./Bosco Institute) for his first action of the game.
 
Harvey sunk a trey on his first shot, and Mercy would not score again the rest of the way, as the Setters responded to Healing's time-out with a 14-0 run to end the encounter.
 
Junior guard Lyron Bennett (Boston, Mass./Tech Boston / Southern Connecticut State) went 7-for-9 from the field and 8-for-10 from the charity stripe for a career high 23 points, adding eight rebounds and four assists. Graduate forward Brandon Powell (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush / FDU) scored 18 points and pulled down a team-high nine boards.
 
The Setters outscored Mercy 44-12  in the paint.
 
The Setters begin their NE10 slate in their next game, a road matchup with Le Moyne on Saturday at 3 p.m.