Pacers Stave Off Giants in Nail Biter
Connor Callejas' seven free throws helped the Pacers break a program record

Pacers Stave Off Giants in Nail Biter

Men's Basketball - 1/21/2015 8:18:00 PM

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Scranton, PA - Marywood University survived a second half Keystone College comeback from 23 points down for a 94-92 victory Wednesday in Colonial States Athletic Conference men's basketball action. The Pacers moved to fifth place with a 10-6 overall, 5-4 conference record in the logjammed CSAC standings; Keystone falls to eighth place with a 4-11, 4-5 CSAC mark. 

Marywood led by a game-high 23 points to go ahead 75-52 just after the halfway mark of the second half. Keystone held Marywood to without a field goal for the final 9:36 of the game. Fortunately for the Pacers, 19 made free throws during that time were just enough to keep the Giants at bay. Keystone outscored Marywood 34-14 during the final 7:31 of the regulation. 

Marywood saw six players reach double figures in scoring. Shane Kellaher reached 10-plus points for the eighth consecutive game with a team-high 14. Cameron Dean matched Kellaher with 14 points. Connor Callejas went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe for 13 points. Michael Rotell generated 12 points. Alex Barr and Shane Letthand both chimed in with 10 points. 

Jonathan Velazquez brought down a game-high 10 rebounds to go with seven points. 

Entering Wednesday's game needing 16 to make the record books, Keystone's Dan Candemeres surpassed the 1,000 point plateau with a game-high 27. Duncan Lunsford scored 20 points, and Jesse Longmire totaled a dozen. 

Lunsford attempted a potential game-winning, buzzer-beating shot from the top of the key. The shot careemed off the front of the rim and bounced short of the basket to give the Pacers the win. 

The Pacers end a six-game slide against their Northeastern Pennsylvania rival, claiming their first victory since a 72-67 home result on Feb. 10, 2011.

Candemeres sparked a late Giant run in the closing 66 seconds. Trailing 88-79, he hit a long-distance shot from Tyreek Peeples to put the Giants within two possessions. Following two sets of made free throws by Letthand and Velazquez, Candemeres made it eight points in a 20-second span with a layup and a 3-pointer to put the Giants behind 91-87 with 46 seconds left. He was forced from the game with fifth foul, setting up a Dean free throw that put the Pacers up five. Lunsford made five straight points on two drives to the basket, and the Giants found themselves with a 93-92 deficit with 15 ticks on the board. Callejas made his first free throw and missed his second before Lunsford's last-chance heave. 

The first half was closed with a 15-point run by the Pacers over the final 3:49. Keystone led 38-34 and missed five shots (and a free throw). Two offensive rebounds jumpstarted the run to set up a Jeremy Ringland put back. Callejas gave the Pacers the lead with a 3-pointer to go on top 39-38 with 2:36. Marywood proceeed to score on each of its final seven shots of the first half, extending their lead to 49-38. 

Things didn't smooth out for the Giants in the second half. Lunsford made a jumper on the first possession; however, Marywood made seven straight free throws to up the lead to 16. 

Marywood broke the school record for both free throws made and free throws attempted in a game. The Pacers made 38 of 49 free throws for a 77.6 percent mark. The previous record for converted free throws was 34 set Jan. 13, 2009 against Penn State Schuylkill. The program high for free throws attempted was 44 against Misericordia on Feb. 2, 2005. 

The Pacers dominated Keystone on the glass, outrebounding the Giants 44-29 throughout the game. 

Marywood travels to Rosemont College Saturday at 2:00 pm 

 
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