SHU Looking To Carry Momentum into Matchup with Bryant on Saturday
1/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game 21: Sacred Heart (8-12, 2-5 NEC) at Bryant (9-8, 6-1 NEC)
January 24, 2015 4:00 pm - Chase Athletic Center (2,700) - Smithfield, R.I.
Setting the Scene... The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team looks for its first two-game win streak in NEC play, as it travels to first place Bryant for a 4 pm tip on Saturday afternoon.
NEC Standings... With both teams coming off wins on Thursday night, SHU is tied for seventh in the conference at 2-5, while the Bulldogs are atop the standings with St. Francis Brooklyn at 6-1.
2014-15 Preseason NEC Poll... The matchup will feature two teams predicted to finish in the bottom half of the league. The Pioneers were slated last, while Bryant was chosen sixth. .
1. St. Francis Brooklyn (6) 6. Bryant
2. CCSU (3) 7. Wagner
3 Robert Morris 8. LIU Brooklyn
4. Saint Francis U (1)9. Fairleigh Dickinson
5. Mount St. Mary's 10. Sacred Heart
Series History... The two teams first met in Sacred Heart's first ever season as a basketball program in 1965-66, with SHU prevailing 105-85 on January 25. After that meeting, the Bulldogs won five straight between 1966 and 1979, which is tied for the longest ever win streak in the history of the series. After the two teams split the next two meetings from 1979-81, the Pioneers would win 13 of the next 15 matchups from 1985 to 2012, including their own five game win streak from 1998 to 2010. Bryant is currently on a three game winning streak to make the all-time series, 16-12, Sacred Heart. With that edge, BU is just one of two teams in the Northeast Conference that Sacred Heart has a winning record against, the other being Fairleigh Dickinson, who SHU now leads, 14-11, after its win over the Knights on Thursday night. Since the Bulldogs became a member of the Northeast Conference in 2008-09, the Pioneers hold an, 8-4, advantage. Before the current three game win streak by Bryant, Sacred Heart had won the first four in NEC play and 7 of the first 8. Both teams hold an advantage on their home court. In Smithfield, the Bulldogs are 6-5, including two consecutive victories, despite losing four of the past six. At Sacred Heart, the Pioneers are 10-6 all-time thanks in part to six straight wins spanning between 1985 and 2010. The only ever neutral meeting between the two teams came on November 23, 1991 at the Desmont Tip-Off in Albany, NY. SHU was the victor in that game, 95-87.
Last Meeting...
The Bryant Bulldogs built an 18 point halftime lead on Sacred Heart on their way to a 76-67 win February 2, 2014 at the William H. Pitt Center. Senior Louis Montes (Brockton, MA) poured in a team-high 22 points for Sacred Heart, while Steve Glowiak (New Britain, CT) nailed seven three-pointers, including six in the second half, on his way to 21 points. Point Guard Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT) dished out six assists, including the 500thdime of his Sacred Heart career. For Bryant, Dyami Starks led the way with a game-high 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Alex Francis added 20 points and Corey Maynard scored 18 points. The Bulldogs shot 3-of-18 from beyond the arc but made 21-of-25 free throws in the victory.
Scouting Bryant... After beginning the campaign losing six of nine in non-league action, the Bulldogs have turned things around in the beginning of Northeast Conference play. They are off to a 6-1 start in the league, including winning five straight after their only NEC loss, 63-47, to St. Francis Brooklyn on January 5. Bryant most recently defeated LIU Brooklyn, 74-69, on Thursday night. The Bulldogs get it done on the defensive side, leading the league in opposing field goal percentage at 42.0 percent. Opponents are also only averaging the third fewest points per game, 65.1. Bryant is efficient offensively, leading the league with a 72.3 free throw percentage, as well as ranking in turnovers per game with only 11.6. The Bulldogs are a threat from beyond the arch, ranking second in the NEC with 7.2 three-pointers made per game. Preseason All-NEC selection Dyami Starks ranks in the top three in the league in points (17.3), FT percentage (.865), and minutes (37.0), and leads the conference, making 3.1 three point baskets per game. Joe O'Shea is the only other Bulldog in double figures with an average of 10.6 and additionally he pulls down 6.2 rebounds per contest, both in the top 17 of the NEC. Dan Garvin leads Bryant with an average of 7.2 rebounds, while Shane McLaughlin is the leading assist man at 3.8 per game. Garvin is also second in the league with an average of 1.4 blocks.
Career Numbers vs. Bryant...
NAME (GP-GS) PPG RPG APG MPG
Gaetano (6-5) 6.9 1.8 7.2 31.3
Evan Kelley (5-5) 6.2 4.2 2.6 28.0
Glowiak (6-2) 8.7 2.3 1.0 21.3
Tevin Falzon (3-0) 6.0 5.0 0.7 19.7
De'von Barnett (2-2) 8.0 8.0 0.5 27
Working for Baskets...Both teams will need to work for baskets on Saturday as the two defenses rank first and second in the conference in opposing field goal percentage. The Bulldogs are leading the pack with foes shooting just 42 percent, while SHU is right behind holding opponents to 42.8 percent shooting.
Assist Factor... Sacred Heart, leading the league with an average of 14.1 assists, will look to use it high assist rate to advantage against Bryant, who rank last in the league only averaging 10.7.
Three Point Disparity.... Just as in their previous matchup, the Pioneers, one of the bottom three shooting teams from beyond the arch, will be facing off with one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league. The Bulldogs are making an average of 7.2 baskets from deep, ranking second in the NEC, on 33.2 percent shooting. The Pioneers on the other hand make the second fewest, 4.8, with the third lowest percentage, 30.8.
Will Free Throws Be a Factor?... If the game is decided late at the free throw line, the Bulldogs may have an advantage thanks to their league-leading 72.3 percent mark from the charity stripe. SHU on the other hand ranks last with a percentage of 64.8.
NEC Struggles, Except Against FDU... Even with the win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday night, SHU is 5-26 in their past 31 NEC games. Three of those five wins are over the Knights for a 3-1 record.
Road Worries... The Pioneers have lost 15 of their last 17 on the road, including a 1-8 start this season. Sacred Heart has not won a game away from the Pitt Center since its December 3 win at Colgate.
Breaking the Trend...After starting the season 5-1 on weekend games (Friday-Sunday), SHU has lost five straight on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
-Sacred Heart also started 4-1 in day games, but has since lost five in a row as well.
Defense wins Games... Prior to Thursday night, Sacred Heart had not won a game when allowing 77 points or more in 33 occurrences dating back to an, 85-82, victory over Yale in the 2012-13 season opener.
-It was the first time SHU has allowed more than 70 points in a win this season.
-The Pioneers are 2-10 this season when opponents shoot over forty percent.
One Possession Losses... Also prior to the win over the Knights, the Pioneers were 1-10 in their last eleven in games decided by three points or less dating back to 2013, including 1-5 to start this season.
An Overtime Win, Finally... SHU won first overtime game in its last five attempts on Thursday night. The Pioneers last won an overtime game on November 10, 2012, in the season opening Connecticut 6 against Yale.
Trailing at the Break... Trailing by three at the break against FDU, the Pioneers pulled off a second half comeback for just the second time this season in 13 occurrences.
-SHU was also 0-20 last season when trailing going into the locker room.
