SETTERS DROP HEARTBREAKER IN
LOSS TO DOWLING
SHIELDS, MCCOLLUM EACH RECORD DOUBLE-DOUBLES IN LOSS
OAKDALE, NY- The Setters rallied back after a slow opening ten minutes of play but suffered a heartbreaking 66-64 loss to the Golden Lions of Dowling College in non-conference action this afternoon. Pace falls to 4-2, while the Golden Lions improve to 7-1 on the season.
In a tale of two teams in the opening half, the Setters struggled early to put ball in the basket and found themselves down 30-7 midway through the opening half. The Setters picked up the pace over the final ten minutes of play ratcheting up the defensive pressure and eventually finding their shots on the offensive end. Pace pulled to a dead even tie at the break, using a 28-5 run over the final 9:12 of the first half to go into the half tied at 35. Dowling was held without a point over the final seven mintues of play as the Setter defense had a great close out of the first half. Shiesha McCollum (Newburgh, NY/Washingtonville) dominated in the paint, scoring 11 points, while Brittany Shields (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) continued her solid play in the glass with nine first half rebounds.
The Setters wasted no time in the second half in taking their first lead of the game as Taylor Losey (Bristol, CT/Bristol Eastern) hit a running jumper on the first Pace offensive possession. From that point it was back and forth the rest of the way with the Setters and Golden Lions trading leads throughout the second half.
Midway through the second half, the Setters would rally from a three-point deficit as Lisa Welsome (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) and Laura Mooney (Staten Island, NY/St. John Villa) would connect on back-to-back trifectas to put Pace up three with just over 10 minutes to play. Dowling would rally with a 10-3 run to take an eight point lead at 60-52 with five minutes left in the game. Pace would battle back to a two-point deficit as Shields would score six points in a Setters 8-2 run to slice the score to 62-60 with just over three minutes to play in the game.
Molly Tubridy for the Golden Lions would score in the paint and hit a pair of free throws to push the Dowling lead to four points with 1:39 remaining in the game. Shields would answer for the Setters scoring in the paint with 41 seconds to go to keep Pace in the game as they would trail by two at 66-64. Dowling would miss a shot on their next offensive possession, setting up the Setters for one final chance with 10 seconds left in the game. Mooney would miss a running jumper in the lane at the buzzer to end the Setters chance to extending the game.
For the Setters, the post duo of McCollum and Shields each posted a double-double, combining for 31 points and 25 rebounds in the game. Shields led the Setters with 18 points and 14 boards, while McCollum tallied 13 points and 11 caroms. Kristin Connolly (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) chipped in 14 points and seven boards in the game.
The Setters return to action on Saturday, December 20 when they travel to Bloomfield, NJ to take on Bloomfield College in non-conference action slated for a 1 pm tip-off.
