PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team defeated regionally-ranked Pace University, 87-82, on Saturday during Northeast-10 Conference play in the Goldstein Health, Fitness & Recreation Center. The Setters, who were tied for ninth in this week's D2SIDA East Region Media Poll, entered the day in first place in the NE10 Southwest Division.

RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (5-10, 1-7 NE10), Pace (10-6, 6-3 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Patrick Gardner (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun/Nassau CC), 25 points, 6 rebounds, 7 blocks, 9-for-16 field goals, 3-for-7 three-pointers
• First-year CJ Crews (Tampa, Fla./Bayshore Christian School), 20 points, 7-for-11 field goals, 4-for-7 three-pointers
• First-year Jacob Duniver (Fredericksburg, Va./Woodstock Academy), 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6-for-8 three-pointers
• First-year Chuma Oyigbo (Stoughton, Mass./Redemption Christian [N.Y.] Academy), 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3-for-6 three-pointers
• Junior Dario Milojevic (Windsor, Ontario/Herman Academy/Mississippi Valley State), 6 points in 9 minutes, 3-for-3 field goals
• First-year Stefano Spassof (Athens, Greece/ACS Athens), 5 assists in 10 minutes
• Senior Jontai Williams (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes), 5 assists

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Junior Brandon Powell, 16 points
• Junior Christian Adams, 14 points
• Graduate student Austin Gilbertson, 13 points, 6 rebounds
• Graduate student Dominick Cristiano, 9 points, 8 rebounds
• First-year Matt Constant, 9 points, 5 assists
• Junior Bryan Powell, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

GAME FACTS

• The Purple Knights shot a season-high 53.3% from three-point range, connecting on a season-best 16 threes in 30 attempts. They also assisted 20 of 29 baskets while outshooting the Setters, 52.7%-44.4%, overall.
• Saint Michael's improved to 6-2 in its last eight meetings with Pace, downing a Setter squad that had been 6-1 at home this winter.
• Crews and Duniver both recorded career highs in scoring, with Duniver making the most three-pointers in a game by a Purple Knight this season.
• Gardner rejected the most shots by a Purple Knight in more than 20 years while pushing his season total to 40 through his 14 contests, already within two of the program's all-time top 10.

THE ACTION

• The teams combined to score on nine of the game's first 11 possessions, as 23 points were netted in the opening 3:15, at which point Saint Michael's led 13-10 after Gardner buried a triple.
• Duniver connected on three threes in a 49-span to push the lead to 24-14 by 14:20 before Pace countered with a go-ahead 14-2 run that took 2:35 to elapse. That was the first of six lead changes in a 3:28 span.
• Saint Michael's went back ahead by as many as seven points, 46-39, on Milojevic's lay-in at 4:40, but Gilbertson's triple with 10 seconds left sent the teams into the locker room tied at 53.
• After the teams combined for 106 points and 62.7% shooting in the opening 20 minutes, the second half featured just 63 points on 31.2% shooting success.
• Crews connected on a go-ahead trey 20 seconds into the second half for what proved to give the visitors the final lead, and Gardner converted a three-point play at the 19-minute mark. Duniver's three extended the lead to 69-59 at 15:09, and Saint Michael's led by between 10 and six points until Gilbertson's jumper with 5:03 to play made it 79-75.
• Williams responded with a pair of free throws, sparking a 6-0 run, and Saint Michael's eventually took an eight-point lead into the final minute.
• There, Bryan Powell scored the first three points before Adams' lay-in cut the deficit to 85-82 at 21 seconds. After a Purple Knight turnover, the Setters had a look at a tying three, which was off the mark, and Crews snagged the rebound before hitting one free throw at 19 seconds. Pace missed its final two shots, sandwiched around junior Jalen Gorham's (York, Pa./MacDuffie School) key steal and free throw.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Tuesday vs. regionally-ranked Adelphi University, 7:30 p.m.
• The Panthers are tied for ninth in the latest D2SIDA East Region Media Poll.
• The Purple Knights host a Hope Happens Here Mental Health Awareness Game that night.