November 11th: Home vs. The King’s College (N.Y.)

The Pacers kicked off their season with a win against The King’s College (N.Y.) in the Electric City Classic Tournament. The Pacers tallied over 50 points in each half, winning by a final score of 107-46. First-year head coach Jon Showers utilized the early lead to see the depth his bench had, getting most of his players some minutes in this game. Sophomore guard Caleb Virgil led the way in scoring with 11 points.

November 12th: Home vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

In the championship matchup of the Electric City Classic Tournament, the Nittany Lions of Penn State Wilkes-Barre were pitted against the Pacers. The Pacers went into halftime up two, before falling behind in the second half, trailing by 10 with just under three minutes left in regulation. The team then stormed back, capping a 13-3 run with a clutch three-point shot from junior Guard Trevor Seitz with two seconds remaining to force overtime. They outscored the Nittany Lions 9-4 in the overtime period, taking home the Electric City Classic Championship by a final score of 79-74. Seitz led the Pacers in scoring, tallying 25 points, thanks in part to his four three-pointers. He also racked up 11 rebounds.

November 16th: Home vs. Montclair State

Fresh off the tournament win, the Pacers welcomed the Montclair State RedHawks, who were also 2-0 on the year, scoring 90+ points in both games. After the jump, the Pacers scored the first points of the game, thanks to a jumper from Cole Johnson. This would be the last time the Pacers led the game, as Montclair State hit its next four shots, all three-pointers, and never looked back. Though trailing by 23, the Pacers clawed back, going into the break down 43-30. The Pacers could never get momentum back into their favor, eventually dropping their first game of the year 88-72. Seitz led the way in scoring for Marywood, contributing 15 points.

November 19th: Home vs. Stevenson University

Following the loss, the Pacers hosted Stevenson University. Stevenson entered the matchup against the Pacers 3-1, losing only to Catholic University. The Pacers trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, going into the halftime break down 41-34. In the second half, the Pacers were able to storm back, thanks in part to a well-rounded scoring performance. Stevenson’s K.J. Holton drained a pair of clutch free throws with eight seconds remaining to force overtime. Stevenson held the lead for most of the overtime period, most importantly, a three point lead with six seconds remaining. As Holton missed a free throw that would’ve iced the game, Pacer guard Virgil grabbed the rebound and pushed it up court, passing it to junior guard Corey Perkins, who found senior forward Jason Holman for the buzzer-beating three pointer, forcing a second overtime period. The Pacers led the second overtime period for under a minute, before falling behind, eventually losing to Stevenson 91-87. The Pacers had five double-digit scorers, led by forwards Jason Holman and Cole Johnson with 20 points each.

November 22nd: Home vs. Wilkes University

In the final contest of the Pacers five-game homestand to start the year, they hosted Wilkes University. The first half was a back-and-forth scrap, with no team leading by more than seven points. Wilkes took a one point lead into the half, up 39-38. The Pacers never led the second half, trailing by as many as 16 points. Though they mounted a 20-7 run with just over five minutes left, the damage was done and the Pacers fell to the Colonels 84-81. The Pacers drained 19 three-pointers, including eight from Seitz, who led the team in scoring with 28 points.

November 27th: Away vs. Moravian University

The Pacers traveled to Bethlehem to face the Greyhounds of Moravian University. The first half continued a common theme of the season, with the Pacers having to play from behind. They trailed for most of the half, before going on a 22-10 run to finish the half tied at 31. The second half was a back-and-forth contest, with neither team able to break away. Marywood took a two-point advantage with just under five minutes remaining, and held on for their third win of the season, 78-72. The Pacers had five scorers in double digits, led by Holman, who set a career high with 30 points.

November 29th: Away vs Keystone College

In the final game of the opening month, the Pacers traveled to La Plume to face off against winless Keystone College. After first falling behind, the team headed into the break up 47-41, thanks to a 7-0 run, all scored by Virgil. Marywood and Keystone went back and forth in the second half, with Marywood trailing by three with just about a minute left. Sophomore guard Brendan Franko’s clutch three-pointer then forced overtime. Marywood held the lead for about half of the overtime period, before falling behind, eventually trailing by two, with five seconds remaining. Although Seitz was just 1-13 from the field for the day, Coach Showers trusted his go-to player, drawing up a play for him. That trust paid off with Seitz hitting the game winning three-pointer at the buzzer, clinching the Pacers’ fourth win, 93-92. Despite Seitz’s late game heroics, the guard only finished with seven points in the game. The Pacers were led by a pair of 20+-point scorers, with Holman leading the team with 26, while Virgil finished with 24 points and 10 assists.

The Pacers finished the month 4-3. Thanks to a pair of 20+- point performances, along with a career high 30-point performance, Holman finished November as the Pacers leading scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game. Holman and Seitz were the top rebounders, with both collecting 30 boards over the seven games. Seitz finished November leading the Pacers in assists with 30.

The Pacers open up December hosting the Manhattanville College Valiants, this Friday at 7 p.m.

Contact the writer: [email protected]