PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. - - The Pace Setters scored the final 10 points of the game on Sunday, coming back to defeat the Wilmington University men's basketball team, 63-54, inside the Goldstein Athletics Center.
Pace improves to 6-0 on the year and is ranked No. 3 in this week's D2CSC Men's Basketball Division II East Region Poll, and received votes in the latest NABC Division II Men's Basketball National Poll. Despite falling to 2-4 on the year, the Wildcats have battled deep into the second half in every game, facing tough nonconference competition all month.
The first half was a battle as both sides tried to gain a foothold, but it would be the visitors who would establish themselves on top by the end of the opening 20. Trailing 26-20, the Wildcats connected on four triples in the final 2:40 of the first half to enter the locker room with a slim 32-29 lead, using a 12-3 run to end the half.
An old-fashioned three-point play by Taalib Holloman had the Wildcats up, 42-34, with 15:33 to play and then back-to-back buckets from Nalik Veasley and Holloman had the Wildcats up eight again, 46-38, with 13:06 to play. A Setters' 6-0 run brought the home team right back and then the game was tied, 49-49, after a three-point with 6:48 to play.
The teams went on the see-saw as Skip Burton responded with a three-pointer and Pace hit a jumper to get to within 52-51 and they took the lead with another jumper, 53-52, with 4:01 to play. Nalik Veasley's put-back with 2:57 on the clock put the Wildcats ahead, 54-53, but that would be the last points the Wildcats would score in the game.
For the final 2:57, the Wildcats went 0-5 overall, going 0-for-4 from beyond the three-point arc. They also turned the ball over in two of their final seven possessions. Conversely, the Setters went 2-for-2 from the field, with both being three-pointers and 4-for-6 from the foul line during that same span. The big backbreaker may have been the first three-pointer by Pace, up against the shot clock and a last-ditch heave fell by Sean Bresnan.
Taalib Holloman led the Wildcats with 16 points, shooting 7-of-15 from the field. Caleb Matthews scored nine points while hitting three three-points and leading the team with five assists. Amiri Stewart came off the bench to score eight points and three rebounds while Skip Burton with two three-pointers for seven points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Nalik Veasley led with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Sunday was the final tune-up prior to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play, as the Wildcats open with Chestnut Hill on Wednesday night. The women start the doubleheader at 6:00 p.m., followed by the men at 8:00 p.m. at the WU Athletics Complex.