Dec. 2: Home vs. Manhattanville College

Following the trip to face Keystone College and wrap up November, the Pacers returned home to face the Valiants of Manhattanville College. Neither the Pacers nor the Valiants were able to create separation for the first half, with a five-point advantage being the biggest lead. A layup in the final second of the half by junior guard Corey Perkins gave the Pacers a 32-30 lead going into the break. The Pacers held onto the lead for the majority of the second half. However, Manhattanville grabbed the lead with just above six minutes remaining. Despite Marywood being within a point of tying the game, the Pacers weren’t able to grab the victory, losing 64-61. The Pacers offense struggled, shooting only 31.4%, with sophomore guard Caleb Vigil being responsible for about a third of the Pacers’ scoring with 20 points.

Dec. 4: Away vs. Lycoming College

The Pacers were back on the road after their one-game homestand, this time traveling to Williamsport to battle against the Lycoming College Warriors. Both teams were sitting at 4-4, looking to get back above the .500 mark. The first half was all Warriors, who took the advantage early, leading by as many as 18 points. The Pacers closed the gap near halftime, trailing 40-30. The Pacers then had a much better scoring second half, but the Warriors’ offense kept stride and the lead varied by only a few points. The Pacers eventually dropped their second straight to open the month, by a score of 85-77. The Pacers managed four double-digit scorers, led by senior forward Jason Holman.

Dec. 12: Home vs. Elizabethtown College

After a week off, the Pacers returned to action against the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays. This game was all Pacers, who took the lead in the opening minute and never looked back. The Pacers led by as many as 16 points in the half, going into the break leading 33-22. The Blue Jays opened the second half with a couple of scores, bringing them within single digits. It wasn’t long, however, before the Pacers stormed back, finishing their fifth win of the season, 80-59. Marywood’s scoring was led by Vigil and junior forward Cole Johnson.

Dec. 15: Home vs. Widener University

The Pacers were set to face off against Widener University in the second game of their two-game homestand. Due to inclement weather, the matchup was postponed. The date of the makeup game will be determined.

Dec. 19: Away vs. Alvernia University

The Pacers final game before the holiday break sent them to Reading to face off against the Golden Wolves of Alvernia University, who were riding a three-game win streak. The teams went back-and-forth in the first half, with neither team able to get a sizable advantage. The Golden Wolves took a five point lead into the break, up 42-37. At first, it seemed that the Pacers would continue to keep the scoring tight, tying the game at 43 within the first few minutes. The Golden Wolves had other plans, with their offense exploding and creating too much separation for the Pacers to overcome. The Pacers lost their sixth game of the season by a final score of 96-68. Sophomore guard Mason Mendygral led the way for the Pacers offense with 16 points

Dec. 30: Home vs. Mount Saint Mary College

Following the holiday, the Pacers had only one game remaining in December, a face-off against the Mount Saint Mary Rattlers. The Pacers’ offense started off hot, taking a large lead early in the first half. Though the Rattlers were able to lessen the lead, the Pacers still went into halftime up 41-36. The Rattlers closed the gap at the start of the new half, tying the game at 44. This was short lived, as the Pacers caught fire once again, blowing the game wide open and leading by as much as 25. They clinched their sixth win of the season 83-63. In a game with four double-digit scorers, Mendygral was the leading scorer, tallying 17 points, closely followed by fellow sophomore guard Brendan Franko.

The Pacers ended the month of December with a 6-6 season record, going 2-3 in the month. The Pacers scoring in December was led by Mendygral, averaging 12.4 point per game, closely followed by Vigil, who averaged 12 per game. December’s leading rebounder was Johnson with 4.6 per game. Junior guard Trevor Seitz led the Pacers in assists with 4.4 per game.

The Pacers begin the new year hosting Centenary University on Jan. 4 at 8 p.m.

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