WOMEN'S BASKETBALL DEFEATS SAINT ROSE, 78-72 IN OVERTIME, ADVANCE TO THE NE-10 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT FINALS
NEW HAVEN, CT - The #6 seed Pace University women's basketball team defeated the #2 seed College of Saint Rose, 78-72 in an overtime thriller, in the Semifinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament at the J.W. Moore Field House in New Haven, CT on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University. The Setters improve to 23-7 on the season and advance to the finals of the NE-10 Conference Tournament for the first time in school history, while the Golden Knights fall to 21-8 and will await a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Pace was the first team to take control as they began the game on a 7-1 run. The Setters would maintain their lead throughout much of the half, before the Golden Knights took their first lead of the half, 18-17, at the 8:19 mark on a three pointer from Linsey Onishuk. Saint Rose used a 17-10 run to take their first lead. Lauren Revesz led the run scoring seven points. The Golden Knights would hold on to their lead as they took a 31-24 advantage heading into the break.
Saint Rose would continue to build upon their lead in the second half as they pushed their advantage to double digits. Down by 12, 40-28, with 16:53 remaining in the game, Pace used a 19-5 run to retake the lead, 47-45, on a lay-up by Ashley Wallace (Oswego, NY/Oswego) at the 11:24 mark. Hannah Sheppard (Norwich, CT/Norwich Free Academy) led the run scoring eight points. The Setters held on to their lead until the final minutes of the game. After a pair of free throws from Onishuk put Saint Rose up by two, 64-62, with seven seconds left, Liran Buchris (Massad, Israel/Great Neck South) hit a jumper at the buzzer to tie the game at 64 and force overtime.
Pace took the lead in the extra frame and never looked back as the Setters outscored the Golden Knights 14-8 in overtime. Wallace led the Pace attack scoring 10 points in OT.
The Setters had four players score in double figures, two of which recorded double-doubles. Wallace led all scorers with a game-high 30 points shooting 12-for-19 from the field, to go along with 13 rebounds. Sheppard contributed with 13 points to go along with a game and career-high 20 rebounds. Buchris chipped in with 15 points, while dishing out a game-high six assists. Freshman Taylor Losey (Bristol, CT/Bristol Eastern) finished the night adding 13 points, going 3-for-5 from three. Stephanie Rossmy (Staten Island, NY/St. John Villa) added 11 rebounds as the Setters out rebounded Saint Rose 58-40.
Leading Saint Rose was Revesz who scored a team-high 17 rebounds on 7-for-16 shooting to go along with five rebounds. Mary Lewis contributed with 12 points and six rebounds, while Dana Brown was the third Golden Knight in double figures with 10 points. Emily Gottstein chipped in with a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with nine points.
Pace returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 3rd, for the
finals of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament held at the J.W.
Moore Field House in New Haven, CT on the campus of Southern
Connecticut State University. The Setters will square off against
the #1 seed and nationally ranked #7 Southern Connecticut. Tip-off
is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
