MEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS AT LE MOYNE, 73-72, ON A BUZZER BEATER
SYRACUSE, NY - Pace had four players score in double figures led by senior guard Ryan Williams' (Centreville, VA/Paul VI) team-high 21, but it wasn't enough as the Pace University men's basketball team lost a heartbreaker to the Dolphins of Le Moyne College, 73-72, on a last second shot in a Northeast-10 Conference match tonight at Ted Grant Court in Syracuse. The loss extends Pace's losing streak to three games and drops the Setters overall record to 9-12 and 8-8 in the NE-10, while Le Moyne improves to 12-11, 10-8 in the conference.
Williams went 8-for-16 from the field, including 5-for-11 from beyond the arc for 21 points, to go along with five assists. Classmate Gibraltar White (Gautier, MS/Gautier) added 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including 5-for-9 from three. Desmond Quincy-Jones (Rye, NY/Rye) and Randy Wilson (Peekskill, NY/Peekskill) chipped in with 12 points apiece. Quincy-Jones also controlled the glass bringing down a game-high nine rebounds. Sophomore Laurence McGhee (Linden, NJ/Linden) helped to pace the offense dishing out a game-high six assists.
Le Moyne also had four players score in double figures, led by Jason Holmes' game-high 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting, including 5-for-9 from three and 2-for-4 from the free throw line. Holmes also added four rebounds and five assists to his stat line, including hitting the game-winning field goal. Dan Cromwell finished with 14 points and five rebounds, Laurence Ekperigin added 12 points and six rebounds, while Jonathan Joshua chipped in with 11 points and four assists.
Pace came out of the gates ready to play as the Setters began the game on a 9-0 run and would never trail in the first half. Quincy-Jones led the opening run hitting a pair of jumpers. Le Moyne's first basket came from Ekperigin's lay up at the 15:42 mark, which ended the run. The Setters would push their lead to double digits minutes later on five straight points from White making the game 16-4 with 12:44 remaining in the half. Williams would give Pace its highest lead of the half on a three-pointer that made the game 31-16 with 3:58 left. The Dolphins cut their deficit to five, 31-26, using a 10-0 run to close out the half.
Le Moyne carried their momentum into the second half using a 7-2 run to start the second half and tie the game for the first time at 33 with 17:33 remaining in the game. The Dolphins would eventually take their first lead of the game, 39-38, on a Cromwell lay up with 15:34 left in the game. Both teams would trade baskets back and forth until Le Moyne started to pull away building their lead to nine, their largest of the game, on multiple occasions. Down nine, 71-62, with 2:57 remaining in the half, Pace used a 10-0 run to take a one point lead, 72-71, with 11 seconds remaining. Williams led the run drilling a pair of three-pointers, while Wilson's bucket with 11 seconds remaining capped the run putting the Setters ahead. Le Moyne had time for one last shot for the game-winner, as Holmes would pull through for the Dolphins hitting the game winning lay-up as time expired, lifting Le Moyne over Pace, 73-72.
Both teams were about even in shots made and attempted as Pace shot 54.4% (31-for-57) from the field, including 40.0% (10-for-25) from beyond the arc, while Le Moyne shot 55.4% (31-for-56) from the field, including 42.1% (8-for-19) from three. Neither team had many free throw opportunities, as the Setters went 0-for-5 from the line, while Le Moyne converted on three of its seven opportunities. Pace held the slim rebounding edge 29-27.
Pace continues its road trip as the Setters will travel to
Manchester, NH this Saturday, February 9th to take on
Southern New Hampshire University in a Northeast-10 Conference
match. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.