Syracuse, N.Y. – Sophomore center Jim Janson (Scotia, N.Y./Scotia-Glenville) scored 15 points and grabbed a career-best 18 rebounds to lead the Le Moyne College men's basketball team to a 69-59 win over Pace on Monday night in Northeast-10 Conference action at Ted Grant Court.

Janson scored eight of his points in the first half, while pulling down 10 rebounds in the second half. Sophomore forward Brian Zapisek (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) and junior guard Derrek Tartt (Chicago, Ill./Oak Park Fenwick/UAlbany) each registered 12 points, while Zapisek had four rebounds and Tartt had six. Sophomore guard Nate Champion (Logansport, Ind./Logansport) came off the bench to score 11 points.

Jonathan Merceus led the Setters with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Clark tallied 18 points off the bench in the second half as the only other Setter to reach double-figures.

The two teams went back-and-forth over the opening 12 minutes and 13 seconds with the lead changing hands three times and the score being tied four times, the last of which was at 15 apiece. Five different Dolphins scored in the span, including four points apiece by Janson and Champion, while Keon Williams had seven points and Merceus had six points for the Setters.

The Dolphins rattled off seven straight points and 16 of the next 19 to take a 31-18 lead with 1:10 left in the half. Zapisek had five points, Janson posted four, senior guard Chris Johnson (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) nailed the 299th three-pointer of his career and Tartt and senior guard James Cormier (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull/Proctor Academy (N.H.)) each had two points.

Merceus had a fast-break lay-up with 18 seconds left to get the Setters within 31-20 at the intermission.

Pace started the second half with eight of the first 10 points to trim its deficit to five with 17:37 remaining. Denzel Primus-Devonish had a conventional three-point play and a fast-break lay-up around Clark's first three-pointer of the half, while Janson hit a jumper for the Dolphins.

The Dolphins countered with 11 of the next 12 points to take their largest lead of the game with 14:16 left. Junior guard Gamal Mohamed (North Plainfield, N.J./Immaculata) ignited the run with a three-pointer, Cormier hit a three-pointer 45 seconds later, Janson tallied three points and Cormier capped the streak with a lay-up.

The Setters responded with 11 consecutive points to get within 44-40 with 10:28 to go. Merceus had the first two on a fast-break lay-up before Clark scored nine straight points on two three-pointers and three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt.

The two teams then split the game's next 14 points, during which the Dolphins had a 7-2 run and the Setters had a 5-0 spurt. Freshman forward Ryan Romich (Groton, N.Y./Groton-Dunstable/Vermont Academy) had four of Le Moyne's points, while three different players scored for Pace.

After back-and-forth action led to a 56-51 Le Moyne lead, the Dolphins scored five straight points to take a 10-point lead. Zapisek nailed a three-pointer out of a Pace timeout and Tartt followed with a pair of free throws.

Pace was able to get within six with five of the next six points, but could not get any closer. Champion hit a foul shot and Janson made a pair to push Le Moyne's lead to nine, but Clark nailed his fifth three-pointer of the half to get Pace back to within six for the final time. Tartt made four free throws in a span of 10 seconds to seal the victory.

Le Moyne wraps up its season with a record of 12-14, including a mark of 8-14 in the Northeast-10 Conference. Prior to the game, Cormier, Johnson and Joe O'Connor (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) were honored for their contributions to the program.