SPRINGFIELD, MA. – Pace University Men's Basketball continued its strong start to the 2025-26 campaign on Saturday afternoon with a 71-61 road win over American International College in Northeast 10 (NE10) Conference play. Powered by a pair of standout scoring efforts from
Jaden Kealey and
Saif Saleh, the Setters built an early lead and never looked back to improve to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in the NE10.
Trailing 6-2 in the opening minutes, the Setters responded with a 9-0 run sparked by Kealey,
Jayden James, and
Jabari Nurse. Kealey hit a three-pointer and followed with a layup in transition, while James added a strong finish inside.
Saleh entered midway through the first half and delivered an immediate spark, scoring eight quick points to help Pace extend its lead to 19-9. The visitors maintained control for most of the half, and after a Saleh three pushed the margin to 14, James beat the buzzer with a put-back layup to give Pace a 35-26 halftime edge.
Pace opened the second half with an 8-0 run, building its largest lead of the game at 47-33. Kealey remained dominant inside, while Davidson and Nurse facilitated ball movement that led to open looks. Although AIC mounted a late push and trimmed the deficit to 58-53 with under five minutes remaining, the Setters responded with key plays on both ends.
Nurse buried a corner three to stop the run, and Davidson added a dagger triple shortly after. Saleh followed with a fast-break layup and four free throws in the final minutes, while Nurse closed the door with four straight makes from the line in the final 35 seconds.
Kealey's 22 points came on 9-of-13 shooting, along with four rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Freshman forward Saleh had his breakout performance, tallying 21 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.
James finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists to complete a double-double, while Nurse chipped in seven points, three assists, and a block.
Pace will return home next Saturday for a non-conference matchup against Wilmington University of Delaware, with tip-off set for 3:30 p.m. inside the Goldstein Fitness Center.
