SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Pace University women's basketball team upset No. 1 seed Le Moyne, 49-47 in overtime, on Sunday afternoon at Ted Grant Court in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship quarterfinals. Led by a double-double by sophomore center
Tower Lorde (Saint Michael, Barbados/The St. Michael School) with 15 points, 16 rebounds; the No. 8 seed Setters kept it tight with the Dolphins from tip to the final buzzer. Lorde also added four steals to her impressive quarterfinal stat line.
It was only the sixth loss for Le Moyne this season. Pace had handed Le Moyne another of those losses earlier this season, 58-54, on Jan. 7. That game was also in Syracuse. The Dolphins beat the Setters on their home court, 53-43 on Jan. 24.
Graduate student guard
Lauren Hackett (Commack, N.Y./St. Anthony's) added 12 points with three assists, while sophomore forward
Arianna Stockinger (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Putnam Valley) sunk 11 points. Sophomore guard
Shanice Sinclair (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) had nine rebounds and
Katumina Mansaray (Ontario, Canada/Cardinal Newman Secondary School/Tilton School) pulled down eight.
The score was tied 11 times. At halftime, Le Moyne led 25-23. The Setters had the advantage in second-chance points 13-4.
In the final minute of regulation, the score was tied 43-43. Coming off a timeout, both Stockinger and Hackett missed back-to-back 3-point opportunities to put the game away. Hackett's 3-attempt with 20 seconds to go was blocked by Le Moyne's Lytoya Baker which resulted in the Dolphins back with possession. Two shot attempts by Le Moyne fell short sending the game to overtime.
In OT, Pace went up by four 49-45 after Stockinger sunk a long ball from Sinclair. A layup from the Dolphins cut the lead to two, 49-47.
The final moments of the game resulted in missed free throw and shot opportunities and lost balls by both teams as the Setters came away victorious in Syracuse for the second time this year.
With the win, the Blue and Gold advance to the NE10 Semifinals and will travel to No. 4 seed Bentley on Thursday, March 2. Thursday will be the first trip to the NE10 Semifinals for the Setters since the 2011-12 season.
