STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Timberlake – career-high 29 points (9-18 FG, 3-9 3-FG, 8-12 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists
• Senior Jess Knight (Hanover, Mass.) – 11 points (4-10 FG, 3-5 FT), 6 rebounds
• Sophomore Meghan Gordon (Attleboro, Mass.) – 11 points (4-13 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists
• Graduate student Macy Spinks (Luton, United Kingdom) – 9 points (3-5 FG, 3-5 3-FG), 2 rebounds

KEY MOMENTS

• Four points from Timberlake helped SNHU jump out to an 8-2 lead over the opening 3:44. The Penmen led, 18-13, in the final minute of the first quarter when a Pace bucket in the waning seconds trimmed its deficit to 18-15.
• Back-to-back 3-pointers from Timberlake and senior Julia Colby (So. Paris, Maine) in the first three minutes of the second stanza widened the SNHU lead to 24-17, but the Setters would score 12 of the final 18 points before the break to pull within 30-29 at halftime.
• A Spinks triple at the 5:20 mark of the third quarter would spark a 10-3 run that was capped with an old-fashioned three-point play from Timberlake to give SNHU its largest advantage of the contest at 50-42 with 3:42 left. Pace would chisel the deficit to 56-53 going to the final frame.
• The Setters would score five straight just after the midway point of the fourth quarter to grab their first lead of the afternoon at 63-62 with 4:02 remaining. It would be their only lead of the day, as a Timberlake trey put the visitors back in front 21 seconds later. Pace would get as close as 71-69 with 12 seconds on the clock, but two huge free throws from Knight with 11 ticks left made it a two-possession game. A Setter turnover with five seconds to play sealed it.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Colby tallied five points (1-2 FG, 1-2 3-FG, 2-6 FT), a season-high nine rebounds and a pair of assists.
• Freshman Abby Wager (Mansfield Mass.) netted five points (1-3 FG, 3-4 FT).
• Junior Sydnie DeVries (Monson, Mass.) posted four points (1-2 FG, 2-2 FT) and six boards.
• Pace outshot Southern New Hampshire, 45.6 percent (26-57) to 41.1 percent (23-56), while SNHU returned the favor from deep, 38.1 percent (8-21) to 23.1 percent (3-13). The Penmen were also plus-6 at the line, though the Setters shot it marginally better, 66.7 percent (14-21) to 64.5 percent (20-31).
• The Penmen scored more points off turnovers (10-6) and second chance points (10-6), while also turning in a more impressive assist-to-turnover ratio (11/6-7/11). The Setters captured the glass (42-36) and the paint (30-28), and received more scoring from their bench (11-9).

NOTES

• Southern New Hamphire has won four of its last five contests.
• Pace is ranked 18th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Top 25 Poll and is receiving votes in the latest Division II College Sports Communicators (D2CSC) Media Poll.
• The Penmen maintain a share of the NE10 lead (6-1) with Bentley University. 
• Pace leads the all-time series with SNHU, 21-12, but the Penmen have won seven of the last 10 meetings, including two straight on the road.
• SNHU's six turnovers match a season low. The Penmen also only committed six mistakes in a 59-52 loss to Bentley on Dec. 6.
• Timberlake continues to climb the all-time scoring list, now at 1316 points. She passed Casey Balzano (1983-87; 1304) to move into sixth. Next up on the list is Jen Ryan (1993-97) with 1360 points.
• Timberlake also leapfrogged Kristy Woodill (1996-00; 184) into second place on the program's all-time 3-pointers made list with 187. She sits one behind the all-time leader, former teammate Molly Terry (2016-20), who made 188.
• SNHU is now 51-18 (.739) since the start of the 2021-22 season, including 28-8 (.778 ) away from the Stan Spirou Field House.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Penmen return to action Wednesday, Jan. 10 (5:30 p.m.) when they play host to American International College at the Stan Spirou Field House in a game that will air live on WGIR 610-AM and Fox Sports 930-AM.