PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University men's basketball team begins its quest for the NCAA Division II championship on Saturday as the Setters, the No. 5 seed in the East Region, face fourth-seeded Dominican College at 7:30 p.m.
 
The eight-team NCAA East Regional will take place in Waltham, Mass, on the campus of Bentley University.
 
HOW WE GOT HERE
The Setters finished the 2021-22 season as regular-season Northeast-10 Conference Champions for the first time in program history.
 
The Blue and Gold posted a 19-9 overall record, going 14-5 in the NE10, and sweeping the entire southwest division with a 12-0 mark.
 
Pace then successfully reached the semifinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament for the first time since 2007, which was also the last time the Setters qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
 
TWINGENUITY
In their first season together as Setters, the junior Middletown-native Powell twins elegantly melded their games. They were the team's top scorers and rebounders and finished in the top-four in assists and steals as well.
 
Bryan Powell (Middletown, N.Y./Canterbury School) earned an NE10 All-Conference First Team selection, while Brandon was a Third Team honoree.

Bryan led the team with 14.9 points per-game on 55.9% shooting from the field and grabbed 6.4 rebounds per-game.
 
Brandon, a first-year transfer, finished the season with averages of 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per-game on efficient 45.3% and 39.4% from the field and three respectively.

ANOTHER BRANDON
The Powells were more than ably backed up by guard Brandon Jacobs (Cambria Heights, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran).
 
The graduate student earned his second straight All-Conference Third Team selection behind 12.2 points and 5.6 assists per-game. His 160 total assists were the most of any player in the Northeast-10 Conference.
 
Jacobs has put together one of the best careers in school history. He currently ranks eighth on Pace's all-time scoring list, while having 178 more assists than any other player that's ever suited up for Pace.
 
BALANCE
What set the Blue and Gold apart was their unique blend of offense and defense, as Pace was tremendously well-equipped on both sides of the court in 2021-22.
 
In a remarkable achievement, the team finished in the NE10's top-four in several offensive and defensive categories:

• Field-goal percentage (1^st)
• Three-point field-goal percentage (1^st)
• Assists per-game (1^st)
• Opponent's field goal percentage (1^st)
• Points per-game allows (2^nd)
• Rebound margin per game (2^nd)
• Steals per-game (2^nd)
• Points-per-game (3^rd)
• Blocks per-game (4^th)
• Opponents' three-point percentage (4^th)

THE CHARGERS
Pace and Dominican College will square off for the first time since 2013.
 
The Chargers put together a 21-7 record before dropping a heartbreaker to Felician University in the finals of the CACC Championship Tournament, 65-64.
 
Dominican was up one with three seconds to play when Dee-End McRae sunk a game-winning jump shot to give the Golden Falcons the title.
 
Dominican went 12-5 in their conference, led by All-CACC Second Team honoree Jalen Burgess.
 
The graduate student led the team in both scoring and rebounding, and finished second in the conference in steals, fifth in field goals, sixth in points-per-game, and ninth in both rebounds-per-game and three-point field goals made.
 
THE BRACKET
Five of the eight spots in the NCAA East Regional bracket belong to NE10 squads, with Pace joined by Bentley, Franklin Pierce, Saint Anselm, New Haven.

Meanwhile, Dominican and Felician represent the CACC, while Saint Thomas Aquinas comes out of the ECC.
 
IMPORTANT REGIONAL LINKS
Live Video
Live Stats
Regional Central Page
 
For updates throughout the weekend regarding Pace Athletics, log on to www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Athletics on Facebook (T-Bone, Official Mascot of Pace University Athletics), Twitter (@PaceUAthletics) and Instagram (@PaceAthletics).