Men's Basketball

January 16, 2010

Balanced Scoring Leads Men's Basketball Past Pace, 63-48


Box Score: http://www.smcathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/stats/mpacstm.htm

COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team (7-8, 3-8 Northeast-10 Conference) won its second straight game on Saturday afternoon, 63-48, versus Pace University at the Ross Sports Center.

For the Purple Knights, sophomore Sam Cieplicki (South Burlington, Vt./New Hampton (N.H.) School) led four players in double figures with 14 points, and added a career-high seven rebounds off the bench. Freshman Travis Warech (Pine Brook, N.J./Montville) added 13 points, all in the first half, while sophomores Qua'ron Pinckney (Bronx, N.Y./Saint Benedict's Prep (N.J.)) and Tyler Schilling (Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka) netted 10 points apiece. Schilling added a team-best nine rebounds, and Pinckney a team-high four assists, as Saint Michael's made 8-of-22 3-pointers and outrebounded the Setters 42-36. The 48 points allowed are the best defensive showing for Saint Michael's this season, and the fewest points allowed since a 78-40 win against Norwich University on November 15, 2008.

For Pace (7-9, 5-6 NE-10), sophomore Adrian Mills (Woodbridge, Va.) scored 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. The Setters shot just 36 percent from the field in the game (20-of-55), 14 percent from 3-point territory (2-of-14), and 40 percent from the foul line (6-of-15) while committing 20 turnovers.

Pace held just one lead in the contest, 5-3, two minutes into the game following a 3-pointer from senior Carlos Howard (Fort Washington, Md.). Saint Michael's then scored the next eight points to take the lead for good, a margin the Purple Knights stretched to 45-30 at halftime following a 3-pointer from Cieplicki just before the halftime buzzer.

Both teams struggled offensively in the second half, scoring just 18 points apiece. The Setters opened the period with an 8-2 run to cut its deficit to 47-38 with 13:41 left in regulation, but poor shooting by Pace, and just enough scoring from Saint Michael's, gave the hosts the victory.

Saint Michael's returns to action on Wednesday, as the Purple Knights host league-rival University of New Haven at 7:30 p.m. Pace visits conference-foe Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

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