Sacred Heart
1-6
Lafayette
2-7
SHU Cannot Complete Comeback in 90-86 Loss to Lafayette
12/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart men's basketball team cut a double digit halftime deficit to as little as two, but could never manage to the tie the game in a 90-86 loss to Lafayette on Saturday afternoon. It is a seventh straight loss for the Pioneers, who now stand at 1-7.
After Lindner's jump shot, twice Sacred Heart pulled within three, when Quincy McKnight made a layup at the 29 second mark and again when Tevin Falzon made a layup 14 seconds later. Linder made three of four free throws following those shots, and by the time Sean Hohen made a putback layup to cut the deficit to 88-86 with just one second on the clock it was too little to late. Lindner made both free throws after getting fouled on the ensuing inbound to officially clinch the victory.
For the second time this season five Pioneers reached double figures, as Sacred Heart shot 45.7 percent from the field. Cane Broome led SHU with twenty points, matching a career-high with four steals for the second straight game. Matej Buovac outscored his output from his first four career games as a Pioneer with 18, while Chris Robinson was one point shy of a career-high with 15. Quincy McKnight put up near triple double numbers with 13 points and career and game highs of nine rebounds and six assists, also adding three steals. Jordan Allen was the fifth Pioneer in double figures with 11 points on 5-7 shooting.
SHU forced 20 Lafayette turnovers, held a 48-20 advantage in points in the paint and 21-6 edge in second chance points, but could not overcome the impressive shooting performance, which was led by Bryce Scott. Scott made nine of twelve from the field, including eight of ten from beyond the arch for 28 points. Along with Monty Boykins, the two combined to go 14-21 from three-point range, as Boykins went 6-11 himself en route to 19 points. Lindner added 15 and six assists, including going 10-15 from the foul line, while Matt Klinewski chipped in with 15.
Sacred Heart will have a quick turn around, traveling to Hartford for an 8:30 pm tip on Monday.
Noteworthy
- SHU dished out a season-high 15 assist
- Sacred Heart's 55 points in the second half were its most in any half this season
- The Pioneers have now lost four home openers in a row
- After Sacred Heart won two of the first three meetings against Lafayette, the Leopards have now won four in a row
Inside the Numbers
- The Leopards made ten more three pointers than Sacred Heart, 16-6, despite taking two less attempts
- Lafayette attempted one more free throw than SHU, 28-27, making 20 to the Pioneers' 16
- Sacred Heart outrebounded the Leopards 37-30, leading to the 21-6 edge in second chance points
How it Happened
- First Half
- Sacred Heart held early leads of 4-0 and 7-5, but after a Boykins triple at the 14:59 mark put Lafayette up 8-7, the Leopards would lead the rest of the game minus an 8-8 tie
- Following that tie, Lafayette scored the next six points, capped by Zalys layup with 11:46 remaining
- SHU would get as close as one, 17-16, when Allen made a layup with nine minutes left
- Scott would make a three-pointer twenty seconds later to begin seven unanswered, capped on his jumper with 7:42 on the clock for a 24-16 lead, and the Leopards would lead by at least six for the remainder of the half
- The Pioneers cut the lead to six twice, the latter coming when Hoehn made 1-2 from the line to make the score 31-25 with 3:46 showing
- The lead reached a game-high 13 when Evans made a layup to go up 40-27 1:26 ahead of the break
- After Sacred Heart got back within single digits, Scott made two free throws four seconds before the buzzer to take a 42-31 lead into the locker room
- Second Half
- The Lafayette lead reached thirteen once more, 47-34, just 1:18 out of the half when Lindler followed a Buovac three with five points in a row
- Another Buovac triple got SHU as close as six with 15:42 remaining, but Lafayette scored the next four to take a ten point lead on Kilnewski's layup just 1:03 later
- Robinson responded with a three-pointer eight seconds after and again it was Buovac brining the Pioneers the closest they had been in the half, 56-51, making a layup with 13:51 to go
- Again the Leopards would answer, scoring six straight to once again take a double digit lead when Scott made a trifecta at the 11:24 mark
- Sacred Heart scored the next eight points over the next 1:30 ending with an Allen three-point play to cut the deficit to 66-63
- After Scott hit a three put Lafayette back up seven, 72-65, with 8:54 left, it was SHU scoring five unanswered this time to get as close as two when McKnight converted a three-point play with 8:10 on the clock
- The Leopards went on a 9-2 spurt after that layup to take the 81-72 lead after Boykins nailed a triple
