GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – On Wednesday night, spectators were treated to an epic battle in the Northeast-10 (NE10) semifinal round between #5 Pace and #1 Adelphi University. After the contest could not be decided in regulation, the Setters went the distance to capture the hard-fought victory over the Panthers, 72-68.

The semifinals victory advances the Setters to uncharted territory with their first-ever appearance in the NE10 Conference Championship.

Fresh off their win, Pace will have two days to prepare for their championship clash against the #2 seeded Penmen of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). The action is set for Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in Manchester, NH.

Here's What Happened

• In the first half, neither side pulled away significantly, bringing a 35-30 score to the locker room in favor of the home squad.
• Adelphi went ahead, 38-30, early on in the second but could never manage to increase the lead to double digits. Faced with a difficult task on the road, the Setters slowly chipped away, eventually tying the game at 39 with under 15 minutes left.
• Both teams traded blows throughout the half as the game remained within five points the rest of the way. With under a minute remaining, a downtown make from the Panthers helped give the lead to the home side, 60-58.
• Trey Boyd III answered back immediately on the other end of the court, draining a mid-range look to even up the contest. In the final moments of regulation, opportunities fell short, and overtime was needed to decide a winner.
• Nearly two and a half minutes passed before the first field goal found the net in overtime. A layup in the paint from Jaden Kealey put Pace ahead, 64-60, with under three minutes in extra action.
• The Setters brought out the clamps on defense and forced their opponents into contested shots from out of their comfort zone. The Panthers were forced to send Pace to the free-throw line, where Tray Alexander and Jabari Nurse finally put the game out of reach.
• When the clock struck zero, the Blue and Gold led by four points, 72-68, earning the win and their first appearance in the NE10 Conference Championship.

Box Score Insights

• Alexander registered a team-high 20 points alongside three steals and four assists. The Freeport, N.Y. native has been blistering as of late, averaging 22.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.4 steals over his last five performances.
• Jamaal Waters played a key role in the victory, posting a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The senior was a force on the defensive end, notching a career-best mark of five steals.
• Three other Setters scored in double figures with Boyd III (12 points, 4 rebounds), Nurse (11 points, 8 rebounds), and Darren Fergus (10 points, 4 assists) helping lead the charge.
• The game was heavily decided on the glass as Pace racked up 15 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points.
• Points off turnovers also had a significant impact for the road squad as the Setters produced 21 compared to the Panthers' seven.
• In overtime, the Setters held Adelphi to 1-6 field goals (16.6%) while going a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to help solidify the win.

Up Next (#2 Southern New Hampshire University)
The Northeast-10 Championship concludes on Saturday afternoon with a showdown between two of the conference's best #5 Pace and #2 SNHU. The opening tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Saturday from the Stan Spirou Field House. For more information on how to stream the championship match-up, CLICK HERE.