2023 NE-10 Playoffs: Pace MBB Fall Short of Upset At Saint Anselm College

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Promotional for Pace MBB’s quarterfinal matchup vs Saint Anselm (pacembb/IG)

Dylan Brown, Managing Editor

Manchester, N.H- 7th-seeded Pace Men’s Basketball fell to the 2nd Seeded Saint Anselm College Hawks on the road, ending their playoff run.

The Setters flew into the quarter-finals off a 72-51 blowout over the 10th-seeded Adelphi University Panthers in Goldstein Fitness Center.

 

Saint Anselm went up early in the half. Senior guard Tyler Arbuckle opened with 8 points to aid a 10-3 Hawks lead. The lead would fluctuate between four and nine points, though it would jump to 11 at 9:10.

The Setters were down as much as 12 in the first half. Frankyn Batista got 7 straight points to keep Pace afloat. Adonis Williams and Jabari Nurse also began to contribute on offense. The halftime lead for Saint Anselm was six points at 42-36.

 

Saint Anselm kept their distance from Pace in the second half. Their lead reached as high as 12 from a three-pointer by sophomore Zac Taylor at 54-42, with 14:50 left. The teams exchanged defensive stops, points coming harder.

The lead got under double digits when Adonis Williams got a layup to make the game 56-48. Guard Lyron Bennett hit two free throws to make the lead just seven, two minutes later.

Nurse got a layup and Bennett would score once again to pull within four and make it 64-60. The Setters pulled off a 17-6 run with 7:23 to play. Brandon Powell got a layup at 4:21 to give Pace the lead at 67-66, another scoring run.

Bryan Powell hit a three-pointer in a brief back-and-forth with the teams. Unfortunately, it was Pace’s last point. Saint Anselm clamped down and went on a game-ending 12-0 run, changing the score from 70-67 Pace to 79-70 in their favor.

 

Bryan Powell finished with 18 points. Jabari Nurse and Brandon Powell both had 10 points and 3 assists. Adonis Williams had 13 points and 7 rebounds. Frankyn Batista had 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Pace MBB now awaits to see if they qualify for the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid. Their record sits at 20-10 with a 12-10 record. They have to their resume, a 12-3 home record and a 2-2 record versus ranked opponents.