Sacred Heart
Yale
Men's Hoop Loses Season Opener at Yale, 82-71
11/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2007
NEW HAVEN, CT - Matt Kyle finished with a game-high 22 points and ten rebounds, as Yale University exploited the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team on the inside, to give the Bulldogs an 82-71 victory over the visiting Pioneers in the season opener for both teams Saturday afternoon.
Sacred Heart held a 36-35 lead at the half thanks to smothering fullcourt pressure that forced Yale into 12 turnovers. Seniors Brice Brooks (Silverdale, WA) and Drew Shubik (Stoystown, PA) led the Pioneer offense in the half with seven points each. The SHU lead could have been bigger at the intermission, but for four missed layups, including on by sophomore Ryan Litke (Windsor, CT) at the buzzer.
At the start of the second half, Yale began pounding the ball inside. Back-to-back layups by Kyle and Ross Morin, followed by a three from Nick Holmes gave the Bulldogs a 42-36 lead. A Howard layup with 15:01 left in the game cut the Yale lead to 45-43, but the Bulldogs used an 11-0 run over the next five minutes to take a commanding 58-45 lead.
SHU didn't score again until there were 9:00 left after a steal by sophomore Corey Hassan (Merrimack, NH) and a dunk by Chauncey Hardy (Middletown, CT) that made it 58-47. The Pioneers could get no closer than nine points until there was only 1:13 left when Hassan drained a three. Sacred Heart shot just 29 percent in the second half (12-42) and 35 percent for the game.
Junior Howard finished with his first career double-double for Sacred Heart with 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds - a feat all the more impressive coming off knee surgery that caused him to miss last year. Shubik finished with 14 points, while Brooks had 13.
