WOMEN'S BASKETBALL UPSETS #4 SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
WALLACE RECORDS DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN WIN
PLEASANTVILLE, NY- The Pace University women's basketball team upset #4 ranked Southern Connecticut State University, 64-58, in a Northeast-10 Conference match-up at the Goldstein Fitness Center on Pace's Pleasantville campus. The Setters improve to 19-6 overall, 14-6 in the NE-10, while the Owls drop to 23-2 and 18-2 in conference play.
Southern Connecticut jumped out to an early lead, taking an 18-11 lead at just under 14:00 mark of the first half as Kate Lynch and Shamika Jackson combined for 11 of the Owls' first 18 points. The Setters responded with a 13-0 over a 5:00 stretch to take the lead at 24-18. Liran Buchris (Massad, Israel/Great Neck South) had a key trifecta and Ashley Wallace (Oswego, NY/Oswego) converted a three-point play and a pair of free throws in the run. Maria Cirello (Saddle Brook, NJ/Paramus Catholic) netted the go-ahead bucket at the 10:08 mark. The Owls cut the Setters lead to three with just over 3:00 minutes left in the game. Pace finished with half with flurry as Buchris nailed a three-pointer and Taylor Losey (Bristol, CT/Bristol Eastern) and Wallace hit back-to-back to lay-ups to push the Setters lead to 10 points, to take at 40-30 lead into the break.
The Owls rallied to start the final period as they cut the Setter advantage to five points midway through the second half. Pace retained the lead, using a 12-0 run to take a 56-39 lead with just under eight minutes to go in the game. Southern Connecticut rallied and trailed by five points with just over a minute remaining in the game but could get no closer as Stephanie Klingele (Staten Island, NY/St. John Villa) hit a pair of free throws and Christine Fitzgerald (San Diego, CA/Arizona Western) went 2-for-3 from the charity stripe down the stretch to ice the upset victory for the Setters.
For Pace, Wallace recorded a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Buchris chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Klingele rounded out the scoring for the Setters, adding 10 points and five boards. Fitzgerald scored seven points and grabbed four caroms off the bench, while Laura Mooney (Staten Island, NY/St. John Villa) tallied six points, three rebounds and four assists, as the Setter bench dominated the Owl bench 19-0. Pace also held the advantage on the boards 45-32.
For Southern Connecticut, Lynch recorded a double-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Jackson finished with 18 points, four boards, and three steals. The Owls shot 29.9% from the field and 3-for-18 (16.7%) from long range.
The Setters return to action on when they travel to Colchester,
VT to take on Saint Michael's College on Saturday, February 17 for
a 1:30 pm tip-off.
