PLEASANVTILLVE, N.Y. – The Pace University men's and women's basketball teams both start off the NE10 Conference Championship Friday, Feb. 24. The No. 8 seeded women's team will host No. 9 seed Saint Anselm College at 5:30 p.m., while the men's team, finishing the season as the No. 5 seed, will play at home against No. 10 Adelphi University at 7:30 p.m.

Led by 31^st year head coach Carrie Seymour, the women's team looks to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year following a trip to the Elite Eight in 2021-22.

On the court, Pace will look to grad student Lauren Hackett (Commack, N.Y./St. Anthony's), who led the team with 10.1 points per game this season. Hackett finished third in the conference in assists per game with 3.8, and recorded her 400^th career assist Tuesday night against Franklin Pierce University.

The Setters will also rely on sophomore Tower Lorde (Saint Michael, Barbados/The St. Michael School), who finished second in the conference this year with a 55.4 shooting percentage. She currently sits eighth in the NE10 with 7.5 rebounds per game, and was third on the team with 8.4 points per game.

Classmate Arianna Stockinger (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Putnam Valley) played a large role this season as well for Pace, as she was second on the team in both points per game (9.1) and rebounds per game (5.0).

The Setters' strength this season has been their defense, as Pace finished fifth in the conference in points per game allowed with 57.1, and finished sixth in the NE10 with 7.4 steals per game.

The winner will advance to the quartfinals at No. 1 seed Le Moyne College Sunday, Feb. 26. This will be the fourth time that Pace and Saint Anselm meet in the postseason, with the Setters holding a 2-1 record all-time. The teams most recently met in postseason play in the 2010-11 season, as Pace defeated the Hawks 58-35.

 
On the men's side, head coach Matt Healing is in his seventh season at the helm, leading the team to three straight NE10 Conference Championship appearances and a trip to the NCAA Tournament a season ago.

The Setters are led on the offensive end by senior Brandon Powell (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush / FDU), who finished third in the NE10 with 16.6 points per game this season, including a career-high 44 points Tuesday night against Franklin Pierce to help Pace claim the No. 5 seed in the conference.

Senior Brandon Powell (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush / FDU) has been one of the most efficient players in the conference this year, shooting 52 percent from the field and finishing fifth in the NE10 by hitting at a 43.8 percent clip from beyond the arc.

Junior Lyron Bennett (Boston, Mass./Tech Boston / Southern Connecticut State) has been a key addition to the team, as the point guard finished second in the conference with 4.8 assists per game.

Defensively, the team has been one of the best in the NE10. The Setters are third in points allowed at 65.5, second in forced turnovers per game with 15.0, and average 6.5 steals per game, finishing sixth in the conference.

The winner of Friday's game will visit No. 2 seed Saint Anselm Sunday, Feb. 26 in the quarterfinals. This is the first time under coach Matt Healing that the two teams have met in the postseason.