Garden City, N.Y. - A 17-point first-half lead slipped from the fingertips of the Adelphi University women's basketball team Tuesday night in a 70-61 loss to Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference action at the Center for Recreation and Sport.

Entering the game, Pace (6-1, 4-0 NE10) had only one non-conference loss on its early-season loss and received votes in the D2SIDA National Top 25 Poll.

The Panthers (2-6, 1-3 NE10) dominated the glass in the first quarter, to the tune of an 18-2 rebound differential. It resulted in an early 18-9 advantage for the hosts.

Adelphi limited Pace to only 23.1 percent shooting (3-of-13) from the field in the opening 10 minutes and closed out the period on an 11-4 spurt.

The Panthers climbed out to a commanding 17-point advantage two-plus minutes into the second quarter, after back-to-back buckets by Ty'zhea Hawkins.

Pace used an 18-2 response to pull within 28-27 at the break, but Emily Miccile and Emma Cuccurullo buried three free throws at the start of the second half to extend Adelphi's lead to 31-27.

The Setters eventually re-gained the lead, although the Panthers came back to tie the score five times across the final 20 minutes.

A freebie by Pace's Naya Rivera broke that final deadlock with 2:39 left and sparked a game-closing 14-2 run that carried the visitors to victory.

Cuccurullo led the offensive effort for Adelphi with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting. She also grabbed nine rebounds, which included six offensive boards. Hawkins scored 12 points in nearly 17 minutes off the bench. Miccile had nine points, six rebounds and two assists. Sarah Deyo added a line of seven points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Head Coach Sade Jackson and the Panthers round out their three-game homestand Sunday (Dec. 12) with a 2 p.m. non-conference showdown with Stonehill College at the Center for Recreation and Sport.