#shubasketball

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Led by 16 points apiece from Sean Hoehn and Mario Matasovic, the Sacred Heart men's basketball team defeated the Central Connecticut Blue Devils 67-54 at Coach Bike Court at the Pitt Center Saturday afternoon.   Records Central Connecticut – 12-13, 5-7 NEC Sacred Heart – 8-17, 3-9 NEC   The Turning Point SHU opened the second half on a 9-0 run, erasing CCSU's 30-27 lead and taking a 36-30 advantage with 14:33 to go. The Blue Devils closed the gap to two, 45-43, on a Joe Hugley three-pointer at the 9:08 mark. The Pioneers them went on a 13-2 run over the next 5:08, with a pair of Mario Matasovic free throws giving SHU a 58-45 lead with 4:00 to go. Matasovic and Joseph Lopez combined for 10 of the Pioneers' 13 points over that stretch. CCSU would only get as close as nine the rest of the way.   First Half - There were eight lead changes in the first half. - A LaRose three-pointer and Hoehn layup put SHU ahead 12-9 with 11:32 to go. The Pioneers would lead for the next 7:03 before a Joe Hugley three gave CCSU a 23-21 lead. - The Blue Devils scored seven of the last 10 points of the half, as Tyler Kohl's buzzer-beating three-pointer gave CCSU a 30-27 halftime lead. - SHU made five three-pointers in the first half after having just four in the whole game against LIU Brooklyn Thursday night. Second Half - Lopez, Kinnon LaRose, and Sean Hoehn scored all nine points of SHU's opening run in the second half. The Pioneers held CCSU to 0-for-4 from the field to start the half, including 0-for-3 from the three-point line, and two turnovers. - SHU used a 13-2 run to take a 58-45 lead with 4:00 left. Lopez and Matasovic had 10 of the 13 points, with Hoehn adding a three-pointer. The Pioneers were 5-for-7 from the field over a stretch of 5:08, holding CCSU to 1-for-6. - The Pioneers shot 64% from the field in the second half, holding CCSU to 39.1%.   Key Stats and Notes - SHU's win snapped a five-game losing streak, the Pioneers' longest since 2015. It was also SHU's fifth straight win over CCSU. - Matasovic recorded his third double-double of the season with 16 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. - Hoehn also scored 16 points, adding a game-high six assists and four steals. - The Pioneers had 18 assists to 10 turnovers Saturday, a season-high for assists. SHU also forced 16 Blue Devil turnovers. - SHU shot 50% from the field for the game, the Pioneers' highest mark since Jan. 13 at St. Francis Brooklyn. - Kohl led all players with 25 points and 11 rebounds.   Next Game SHU travels to Fairleigh Dickinson for a pivotal NEC showdown on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.

SHU vs LIU MBB Highlights

SHU Alley-Opp to Devon Barnett

SHU MBB Weekly Preview - Week 6

BROOKLYN, NY – Abigail Kangudie made the first start of her collegiate career a memorable one and Candice Leatherwood displayed her scoring prowess as the Sacred Heart women's basketball team (7-12, 3-5 NEC) kept the game out of LIU Brooklyn's (8-11, 4-4 NEC) reach, 50-46, Saturday afternoon at the Steinberg Wellness Center. The victory ends a three-game drought for the Pioneers. How it happened… Kangudie ignited the SHU offense earning the game's first points on a turnaround layup by the right block, 2-0, 43 ticks into the afternoon. A contested drive by Adrianne Hagood and a right-wing trey from the release of Leatherwood worked up a seven-point Pioneers lead all while keeping the Blackbirds out of the scoring column. Drew Winter connected on a mid-range jumper to cut into the Pioneers' rhythm, which spiraled an uninterrupted six-point flurry by the Blackbirds, 9-8, with more than half of the quarter played. The hosts added six more points to take custody of the lead behind the first quarter horn, 14-12. Leatherwood leveled the playing field in the second quarter's first possession and the first of two Asia McCraybaskets put the Pioneers in front for the good, 16-14, with 8:41 remaining in the window. With under a minute remaining in the game's final quarter, the Blackbirds competed against the clock executing a pair of three-point plays gambling Leatherwood's trips at the free-throw line. The redshirt-junior went 4-of-4 before a near costly miscue on a Pioneers' inbound play saw reigning NEC Co-Player of the Week, Denisha Petty-Evans, finish down the other end for two, 49-46, with 10 seconds remaining. Leatherwood split her last pair of attempts at the line before Carter committed a foul to negate another three from the Blackbirds and ultimately settle the final. The numbers… Kangudie's career-high was comprised of a team-best 15 rebounds and eight points. The forward shot 40-percent from the field and swatted one Blackbirds' shot attempt. Leatherwood notched her first 20-plus point performance in six games (21) in large part to going 10-of-14 at the free-throw line. The guard also grabbed six rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Tykera Carter put up seven points on 42.8-percent shooting, pulled down seven rebounds and scrambled for three thefts. Erin Storck was one rebound shy of matching her career-high on the glass (8 rebounds) while scoring four points and earning a pair of steals. Noteworthy… The 29.5-percent shooting by SHU is the lowest performance by the Pioneers in a win.SHU is 21-16 against LIU Brooklyn all time and is 7-4 in the past five seasons.Today's victory ends a three-game SHU drought. Next up… The Pioneers wrap up January play and their three-game road trip Monday, January 29 at St. Francis Brooklyn. The Terriers open their doors at 7:00 p.m.

SHU WBB NEC Weekly Preview - Week 5

SHU MBB NEC Weekly Preview - Week 5

Watch SHU Women’s Basketball face FDU at 2:00pm EST Here!