HARTFORD, Conn. – Trailing 62-42 with 8:47 remaining in the game, the Sacred Heart men's basketball team got as close as two, but could not complete the comeback in a 81-70 loss to Hartford at Chase Family Arena on Monday night. The Pioneers shot 61.8 percent in the second half, but could not overcome scoring just 19 points on 20.0 percent shooting before halftime in what is their eighth straight loss to fall to 1-8.

Scoring seven unanswered twice in what was a 27-9 run to cut the deficit to 71-69 with 1:46 left, the first stretch of seven in a row ended when Sean Hoehn made a layup to make the score 62-49 at the 7:05 mark. Following a Hartford free throw, this time it was Jermaine Ukaegbu capping the 14-1 stretch with a tip in to make it 63-56 with 5:40 to go. The Hawks momentarily halted the SHU momentum with a layup 11 seconds later, but a Cane Broome three-pointer with 4:18 on the clock brought the Pioneers within four at 65-61.

Hartford (4-8) stretched the lead back to seven on a Pancake Thomas foul shot less than a minute later, but again it was Ukaegbu providing the answer with a put back dunk making the score 68-65 with 2:44 remaining. On the ensuing trip down the floor JR Lynch looked to have hit the game-clincher, a trifecta at the shot clock buzzer for a 71-65 lead, but this time it was Hoehn getting the Pioneers right back in it. After making a layup to cut the lead to four, Ukaegbu stole the inbounds pass and found Hoehn under the basket for a wide open layup to bring SHU the closest it had been since the 13:34 mark of the first half, 71-69 with 1:46 to go.

Needing a defensive stop for an opportunity to tie the game or potentially take the lead, Sacred Heart forced a contested three-pointer at the shot clock buzzer, which JR Lynch drained to ultimately seal the game. That began a 7-0 run, as the Pioneers missed their next three shots and Hartford made 6-8 from the foul line to end the game.

In addition to the 20.0 percent shooting (5-25) in the first half, SHU also committed 14 turnovers, leading to 19 Harford points as the Hawks built a 35-19 lead.  After Sacred Heart took its first and only lead, 6-4, on a Chris Robinson layup with 15:04 left, the Hawks scored the next 11 points and would lead the rest of the game.

Hoehn and Ukaegbu shot a combined 7-9 for 16 points, all of which came in the final 10:18 of the game. They both recorded new career-high in points, with Hoehn finishing with nine and Ukaegbu adding seven in just nine minutes of action. Jordan Allen and Broome led Sacred Heart scoring 15 points each, with Broome scoring all 15 of his in the second half and adding a game-high four assists as well as six rebounds. Quincy McKnight was the only other Pioneers in double figures with 12 points, while Tevin Falzon grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

It was Thomas who led Hartford with a double double of 17 points, 11 of which came in the second half, and ten rebounds. He also had a game-high four assists and shot 5-9 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arch. Justin Graham was one of three other Hawks in double figures with 13 points, while Lynch and Taylor Dyson scored 12 and 11 respectively, combining to shot 11-12 from the line.

SHU has a week off before traveling to Northwestern next Monday for a 7 pm tip on the Big Ten Network.

Noteworthy

• Sacred Heart has scored 107 points combined in the second half of their previous two games, against just 50 points in the first half.
• The Pioneers surpassed their total field goals made from the first half in the first 3:15 of the second half

Inside the Numbers

• SHU controlled the game down low, outrebounding Harford 39-33 and holding a 40-26 advantage in points in the paint
• The Hawks tallied 18 assists on 25 made field goals, shooting 44.6 percent (25-56) for the game
• Hartford shot 8-23 from three-point range for 34.8 percent, while the Pioneers made 5-21 for 23.8 percent
• The Hawks also had the edge at the free throw line, making 22-31 for 71.0 percent to SHU's 14-23 for 60.9 percent

How it Happened

• First Hal
  • Dyson's three-pointer capped the 11-0 first half run with 11:09 showing to give Hartford a 15-6 lead
  • Following two Falzon free throws to make the score 19-13 with 6:46 remaining in the half, again it was 11 unanswered for Hartford capping a 26-8 run. Jack Hobbs' layup at the 2:59 mark gave the Hawks their biggest lead, 30-13
  • SHU would score six of the next eight points to momentarily get back within 13, 32-19, on Allen's free throw with 2:05 to go, but Thomas drilled a triple just four seconds before the halftime buzzer for a 35-19 halftime lead

• Second Half
  • Sacred Heart came out in the second half making six of its first seven shots in the first 3:15, but could only manage to cut the deficit to 43-32 as Hartford made its first three shots
  • After McKnight made two free throws to get within single digits at the 15:38 mark, the Hawks scored the next eight points to jump back out to a 53-34 lead on TreVaugn Wilkerson 's dunk with 12:26 to go.
  • The Hartford lead reached 20, 56-36, for a first time when Jalen Ross hit a free throw with 10:18 showing
  • Lynch gave the Hawks their second 20 point on a three-pointer at the 8:47 mark