PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Junior forward Dee-End McRae (Newark, N.J.) made two field goals during the game's final minute to help the Felician University men's basketball team hold off Pace University and earn a 70-67 non-conference victory over the host Setters on Thursday night at the Goldstein Athletic Center. Pace (8-2) is ranked No. 5 in the most recent NCAA Division II East Region media poll.

Junior swingman Justin Davis (Jersey City, N.J.) scored 19 points with six rebounds and classmate Jay'von Jackson (Plainfield, N.J.) netted 16 points off the bench to lead Felician (4-3). Graduate guard Brandon Jacobs (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) led the Setters with 19 points and four assists.

In a game which featured eight ties and eighteen lead changes, Pace moved ahead, 63-60 on a Bryan Powell (Middletown, N.Y.) dunk followed by Dominick Cristiano's (Valhalla, N.Y.) layup with five minutes, 29 seconds remaining in regulation time. But the visitors held Pace to only one field goal and four overall points for the rest of the night.

After Omar Ramos (Sicklerville, N.J.) followed Cristiano's bucket with one of his own, Felician took the lead for good on a successful Davis jump shot at the 4:32 mark. The 64-63 score held for nearly three minutes of game time, with the sides trading empty possessions.

Two Jacobs free throws pulled the Setters to within 66-65 and 1:20 to play, but McRae answered with a layup at the 0:57 mark. Out of a Pace timeout, Powell nailed a jumper to pull the hosts back to within one point and 0:36 left. But the Golden Falcons wound the shot clock down to 0:09 before McRae buried a jump shot of his own for what proved to be the final 70-67 tally. The Setters called timeout again but were unable to get a clean look at a tying three-pointer before time expired.

McRae finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore teammate Nas Amos (Newark, N.J.) scored 12 points with four assists before fouling out. Powell collected 17 points and 11 rebounds for Pace.

Felician recovered from an early 12-2 deficit to lead, 30-28, at halftime on Davis's buzzer-beating three. Pace was ahead by as many as five points during period two, while the Golden Falcons never possessed more than a four-point edge.

Felician continues its non-league slate next Tuesday, December 14, with a 7 p.m. road tipoff at the College of Staten Island.