PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Pace University Men's Basketball opened the 2026-27 season with a tightly contested 55-51 loss to Mercy University on Tuesday evening at the Goldstein Fitness Center. The Setters begin the campaign at 0-1 overall and 0-0 in Northeast 10 Conference play.
The Blue and Gold opened the contest with consecutive three-pointers from Saif Saleh and David Dix to jump out to a 6-0 advantage. Mercy responded to even the score, but Pace continued to hold the upper hand through much of the opening half.
Jaylin Horsey and Ben Manuel each connected from beyond the arc as the Setters built a 17-12 lead midway through the period. Pace later extended its advantage to seven following a layup from Noah Payne, but Mercy chipped away at the deficit.
The Mavericks eventually erased the lead in the closing minutes, sending the teams into halftime tied at 27-27.
Pace came out of the break with renewed energy, using an early scoring run to regain control. A layup from Manuel and consecutive baskets from Darren McFarlane helped the Setters build a 37-29 advantage less than four minutes into the second half.
The Blue and Gold maintained their lead through the middle portion of the period, with Horsey connecting on another three-pointer to push the advantage to 46-38 with just over nine minutes remaining.
Mercy answered with a nine-point run to take its first lead of the half, but Jayden James responded with a transition layup to put Pace back ahead 48-47 with 4:11 remaining.
The Mavericks tied the contest at 49 with 1:23 left before moving ahead from the free-throw line in the final minute. Pace was unable to regain the lead as Mercy closed out the four-point victory.
McFarlane led the Setters with 11 points off the bench, shooting 4-of-6 from the field. Manuel and Saleh each contributed nine points and seven rebounds, while Horsey added eight points and three steals.
James finished with seven points, a team-high eight rebounds and two blocks. Saleh and Payne each recorded four steals, helping Pace force 22 turnovers.
The Setters return to action on Friday, Nov. 13, when they travel to face Queens College at 5:00 p.m. in Flushing, N.Y. Pace will then take on Molloy University on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1:00 p.m. in its second game of the weekend.
