GARDEN CITY, N.Y.- Back into the win column goes Pace Women’s Basketball. The Setters topped the Adelphi University Panthers yesterday by a score of 59-52. Their record improves to 14-5 and 8-3 on the road.
The College of Saint Rose ended the visiting Setters’ 3-game winning streak last Saturday, June 27 in Albany, N.Y. Yesterday was the second leg of Pace’s in-state NE-10 competition.
Scoring came easy early. The first quarter opened with an 8-0 run in the first 4 minutes. Halfway through the quarter, Pace led 8-2. Point differential would remain through the end of the quarter, ending 17-10 in the blue and gold’s favor.
Adelphi made a point to take drives to the lead, successfully cutting the lead out of the break to 1. The Panthers got their first lead from a three-pointer by forward Jenna Jordan, ahead 21-19 just before the 5-minute mark. Arianna Stockinger’s 3 ball retook the lead for the Setters. Ciara Collins got inside for two, expanding the lead back to 5. Adelphi’s offense went cold, not scoring after Jordan’s 3 until cashing in on free throws with just 2 seconds before the half. Into the break, the score was 28-23, favoring Pace.
The screws on the Setters’ defense tightened holding Adelphi without points until 7:40 in the third. Stockinger got another jumper to stretch the lead to 9. Jordan however had her shot on offense, scoring Adelphi’s first 8 points. Pace would be able to keep distance from their opposition. Mackenzie Martin’s layup made it 40-32 with 1:37 left, but the rest of that time belonged to the Panthers. Another jumper plus free throws shrunk the lead to 40-37, setting up a tight fourth quarter.
Neither team scored for the first 2 minutes, a spell broken by Adelphi hitting two free throws. Free throws by Shanice Sinclair and two shots by Stockinger ballooned the lead to 47-41 with 6 and a third minutes left. Easy layups for Adelphi would get the lead to 2 and just under 4 minutes left. Pace would ensure to keep their advantage. Adelphi three making the score 51-49, Pace answered with a 5-1 run over the next 2 minutes, going up 56-51 with 2:05 left. The nail in the coffin was a three-pointer by Mackenzie Martin with 35 seconds, the game decidedly in the Setters’ favor.
Stockinger and Ciara Collins both led with 18 points. Stockinger had 11 rebounds, Collins 10 for a pair of double-doubles. Sinclair also neared a double-double, she had 9 points and 7 assists. Martin who had the game-sealing three-pointer, had 10 points and 3 rebounds.
The Setters are back home for two home games. The first comes on February 1 versus the Bentley University Falcons. On Saturday, February 3, The Saint Michael’s College Purple Knights visit the Goldstein Athletic Center. The tip-off for both games is at 1:30 pm. Find tickets at paceathletics.universitytickets.com or watch live on ne10now.tv