FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Despite a hot-shooting start to the second half, the Sacred Heart men's basketball team could not overcome a 24-point halftime deficit to the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers in an 86-75 loss Thursday night at Coach Bike Court at the Pitt Center.

Quincy McKnight led all scorers with 26 points, scoring 16 points in the second half. Chris Robinson scored a season-high 14 points with Matej Buovac adding 12 off the bench. Joseph Lopez recorded his sixth double-double in the last eight games, putting up 11 points and 10 rebounds.

FIRST HALF

- Mount St. Mary's (8-12, 6-1 NEC) opened the game on a 14-2 run, making five of first seven shots from field.

- Back-to-back Mawdo Sallah baskets gave the Mountaineers a 25-9 lead at the 12:42 mark.

- The Mountaineers' largest lead of the half came at the 4:11 mark when a Greg Alexander three-pointer put Mount St. Mary's ahead by 26, 44-18.

- SHU's (8-12, 3-4 NEC) longest run of the first half was a 6-0 spurt at the 4:03 mark that made the score 44-24. Buovac and McKnight combined for those six points over a stretch of 1:31.

- Mount St. Mary's shot 63.3% from the field in the half and made 8-of-12 three-pointers.

SECOND HALF

- SHU scored the first five points of the first half to make the score 51-32, leading to a Mount St. Mary's timeout at the 18:22 mark. McKnight had four of the five points, including a dunk off of a steal to open the half.

- The Pioneers went on a 19-0 run over 4:37 to get within three, 58-55, with 12:05 to play. SHU went 8-for-7 from the field with three three-pointers. Defensively, the Pioneers held Mount St. Mary's to 0-for-4 from the floor with four turnovers.

- McKnight and Robinson scored 14 of those 19 points.

- Mount St. Mary's answered the SHU run with a 9-2 run over the next 2:03, with a Sallah layup giving the Mountaineers a 65-55 lead with 10:02 remaining.

- Sacred Heart got back within four, 69-65, at the 4:50 mark on back-to-back baskets by Robinson and Charles Tucker Jr. However, that would be as close as the Pioneers would get.

- SHU shot 55.9% from the field in the second half.

The Pioneers finished the game shooting 47.6% from the field as Mount St. Mary's shot 59.2%. The Mountaineers made 13-of-21 three-pointers and outrebounded Sacred Heart 32-27. Sacred Heart did turn 23 Mount St. Mary's turnovers into 22 points. Elijah Long led the Mountaineers with 19 points and seven assists. Miles Wilson and Junior Robinson each scored 17 points. 

The Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics will honor cancer survivors at its Saturday, January 21 basketball doubleheader at the William H. Pitt Center.  Both Pioneers squads welcome Northeast Conference foe Wagner, with the women's game tipping off at 1 p.m. and the men's game at 3:30 p.m.

Cancer Survivors are invited to a reception, sponsored by Zazi's Mediteranean Grill, between games on Saturday. All survivors in attendance are also invited to be part of halftime recognitions at both games. Those interested in attending the games should contact the SHU Ticket Office at 203-396-TIXX. For more information on Saturday's events, log on to SacredHeartPioneers.com.