PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Pace University Men's Basketball nearly erased a first-half deficit on Tuesday night, trimming an 18-point hole to two possessions in the final seconds before coming up short in a 63–59 Northeast 10 loss to American International College inside the Goldstein Fitness Center. The Setters showed resilience throughout the second half, but AIC closed the game at the free-throw line to secure the road win.
The opening half proved challenging for Pace, as American International shot efficiently from beyond the arc and built early momentum.
Paxton Davidson and
Saif Saleh provided initial scoring sparks, but AIC strung together multiple runs to create separation. Despite interior finishes from
Jaden Kealey and a three from
Ben Manuel, Pace struggled to find consistency offensively and went into the break trailing 38–25.
Pace responded with improved energy after halftime.
Jayden James scored on a tip-in and followed with a free throw to open the half, and Saleh finished a fast-break dunk to cut into the deficit. The Setters continued to chip away behind Kealey's work in the paint and Davidson's perimeter shooting, pulling within single digits midway through the second half.
The closing minutes turned into a possession-by-possession battle. Manuel knocked down a key three to make it a three-point game with under three minutes remaining, and
Jabari Nurse converted at the line before adding a late basket to bring Pace within 61–59 in the final minute. American International answered with free throws in the closing seconds, and Pace's final look at the buzzer narrowly missed as time expired.
Manuel led Pace with 13 points off the bench, while Davidson added 10 points and three rebounds. Kealey finished with eight points and four rebounds, and James contributed seven points, five assists, and four rebounds. Pace won the second-half scoring margin, outscoring AIC 34–25, and totaled 28 points in the paint to fuel the late push.
The Setters head back on the road on Saturday, traveling to Franklin Pierce University for a 3:30 p.m. start.
