Pace Runs Past Franklin Pierce, 72-53
Setters hold Ravens to 21.9% shooting in the second half
RINDGE, N.H. (January 31, 2007) - Pace University held Franklin Pierce to just 18 second half points in posting a 72-53 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the Fieldhouse tonight.
Franklin Pierce shot just 21.9-percent (7-of-32) from the field, including 1-for-13 (7.7%) from three-point range, in the second half. Pace shot 49.2-percent (30-of-61) from the field, including 16-30 (53.3%) in the first half. The Setters out-rebounded the Ravens by a 47-31 margin, and enjoyed an 18-8 scoring advantage off turnovers despite turning the ball over six more times (19-13).
Junior Ryan Williams (Centreville, Va./Paul VI) led Pace with 16 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists. Classmate Desmond Quincy-Jones (Rye, N.Y./Rye) added 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals, while sophomore Randy Wilson (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) registered ten points.
Sophomore Timothy Munch (Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) led Franklin Pierce with 17 points (15 first half) and five rebounds. Senior Darryl Minnifield (Boston, Mass./Brookline) added 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, while sophomore Jack Barrett (Reading, Mass./Andover) chipped in six points, five assists and four steals.
Pace jumped out to a ten-point lead (23-13) eight minutes into the contest, hitting three-straight three-pointers in the span of a minute. The Setters lead grew to 11 on three occasions, including the 5:07 mark after a jumper from Gibralter White (Gautier, Miss./Gautier).
Franklin Pierce closed to within six (40-34) after a Munch three with 57-seconds left, but Pace carried a seven-point lead (42-35) into the intermission. The Setters resumed control of the contest, pushing their lead to 16 (56-40) after an Oniel Morgan (Kingston, Jamaica) tip-in five minutes into the second half.
The Ravens closed within 11 (56-45) after a Rimas Varanauskas (Kaunas, Lithuania) layup with 12:58 to play, but Pace scored the next ten points over the next four minutes to open a 21-point gap (66-45) after a Williams layup with 8:31 to go. Franklin Pierce never got closer than 19 points the rest of the way.
Franklin Pierce (10-11, 8-9 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits the University of Massachusetts Lowell at 5 p.m. The Ravens are back home on Saturday, February 10, when they host Saint Anselm College at 3:30 p.m. Pace (14-10, 10-6 NE-10) visits Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.