The Electric City Classic Champion Pacers lost their first game of the season, falling to the Montclair State RedHawks, 88-72. Montclair State had come into the game 2-0, scoring over 90 points in both games. The Pacers walloped King’s College (N.Y.), followed by a nail biting overtime victory versus Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

In the first half, the Pacers trailed 22-4 at one point, stifled by a fast-paced offense and suffocating press defense. Montclair hit its first four 3-point attempts, shooting 9 for18 in the half. Following a couple of quick breaks called by new head coach Jon Showers, the Pacers stormed back on a 26-21 run to end the half trailing 43-30.

Montclair State continued to dominate in the second half, with the RedHawks shooting 65% from the field, though Marywood played very good ball following the half time break, shooting 53% in the second half. Eventually, Montclair State was too much for the Pacers to handle, as they ended up defeated 88-72. It was Montclair State’s third straight win to start the year and the Pacers’ first loss in the Jon Showers era.

Overall, the Pacers shot 45.5% from the field, 30.4% from 3-point range and converted 15 of 20 from the foul line, though the percentages were heavily skewed by the struggling first half offense. The Pacers had three double-digit scorers, led by junior guard Trevor Seitz with 15 points.

There weren’t many rebounds to be had due to Montclair State’s shooting accuracy. The Pacers were led by sophomore Mason Mendygral, who tallied four boards.

The Pacers’ one positive was the amount of turnovers they forced, causing 19 changes of possession by the RedHawks. Marywood was also the first team to hold the RedHawks under 90 points, albeit allowing 88. Marywood managed to tally seven steals, led by sophomore Brandon Reed.

Stevenson University will travel to Scranton to face the Pacers on Saturday at 2 pm. Wilkes University follows at 7 pm on Tuesday, as Marywood finishes a five-game home stand to start the year.

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