PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Adrian Mills totaled 17 points as Pace University downed Southern New Hampshire University 64-57 in Northeast-10 men's basketball at the Goldstein Center Wednesday night. The Setters improved to 9-8 and 5-7 in the NE-10, while the Penmen are now 6-10 overall and 2-10 in the league.
Mills also grabbed five rebounds for the Setters. Denzel Primus-Devonish was the other Pace player in double figures, as he totaled 11 points and eight assists. Keon Williams added nine points and 12 rebounds.
Marcus Matthews (Valley Stream, N.Y.) led Southern New Hampshire with 12 points, going 8-9 at the free throw line. Lucas Croteau (Rochester, N.H.) registered 11 points and 10 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double, while Cory Vejraska (Alachua, Fla.) finished with 11 points and seven boards. Tory Stapleton (Rahway, N.J.) added eight points.
In a game that saw seven ties and nine lead changes, Pace took the largest lead by either team in the game with 10 minutes to go when Justin Alston knocked down a three-pointer to make it 44-37. The Penmen would score the next six points and a layup by Matthews with 9:08 to go made it 44-43. SNHU took a 48-46 lead with just under seven minutes to go on a three by Vejraska.
Trailing 53-50 with 5:38 to go following a pair of free throw by Corey Boland (Union, N.J.), Pace took the lead for good with a 9-0 run capped by a Mills layup with just over three minutes to go. Stapleton would make it 59-55 with 2:41 left with a pair at the line, but on Pace's next possession Primus-Devonish knocked down a three to make it 62-55 with 2:28 left. Stapleton would cut it to 62-57 with 1:44 on the clock, but the Penmen would get no closer.
SNHU owned an 11-7 lead seven minutes into the game following a three by Greg DeSantis (Trumbull, Conn.). Pace took its first lead with 8:22 to go before halftime on a Kai Smith three that made it 16-13, and the Setters would take a 23-22 lead into the locker room.
Pace limited the Penmen to just 27.3% shooting for the contest, including a 4-22 effort behind the arc, while the Setters were 25-58 overall and 6-19 from downtown. The Penmen did go 17-20 at the free throw line while Pace was just 8-19. Both teams grabbed 44 rebounds.
Southern New Hampshire hosts Southern Connecticut State University in a 3:30 contest Saturday at the SNHU Fieldhouse.
