Pioneers Open Final Week Of NEC Play At Saint Francis U Thursday
2/22/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes | NEC Front Row | Live Stats
Sacred Heart (13-16, 8-8 NEC) at Saint Francis U (12-15, 9-7 NEC)
Thursday, Feb. 23 - 7 PM
DeGol Arena - Loretto, Pa.
Setting the Scene... Sacred Heart begins the annual road trip to western Pennsylvania on Thursday night at Saint Francis U.
Last Time Out... The Pioneers had a chance to win with less than five seconds left at LIU Brooklyn last Saturday, but Charles Tucker Jr.'s three-pointer was blocked as the Blackbirds hung on for an 83-82 win. Joseph Lopez and De'von Barnett each scored 18 points to lead the Pioneers. Lopez also added 14 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Chris Robinson tied a career-high with 16 points.
All-Time vs. Saint Francis U... The Red Flash lead the series against the Pioneers 15-13. Saint Francis U has won six of the last seven games against Sacred Heart. The Pioneers last won in Loretto on Jan. 19, 2013 by a score of 75-72.
Last Meeting... Led by 27 points and 13 rebounds from Keith Braxton, Saint Francis U defeated Sacred Heart 87-67 at the Pitt Center on New Year's Eve. Isaiah Blackmon added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Red Flash. The Pioneers shot just 26.7% in the first half, falling behind 42-28 at halftime. Charles Tucker Jr. led SHU with 19 points and nine assists. Chris Robinson added 10 points off the bench.
And Down The Stretch They Come... Sacred Heart has caught fire in February, going 5-1 so far. Since 2015, SHU is 17-5 in February. With a sweep of Saint Francis U and Robert Morris this week, SHU will have reached double-digit wins in NEC play in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2009. The Pioneers' offense has come alive in February, averaging 79.5 points per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. SHU has also shot 42.3% from the three-point arc in its six games in February.
Thursday Night Is Quincy's Night... Sophomore guard Quincy McKnight has played some of his best basketball on Thursdays this season. In NEC play, McKnight is averaging 22.3 points per game on Thursday with five 20-point games. He has scored 26 points three times on Thursday, including both wins against St. Francis Brooklyn. Over the last six games, McKnight is shooting 50% from the three-point line and 75.5% from the foul line.
Lopez On The Boards... Joseph Lopez had his ninth double-double of the season last Saturday at LIU Brooklyn, leading the Pioneers with 18 points and 14 rebounds. It was his first double-double since Jan. 19 against Mount St. Mary's. In conference play, Lopez is averaging 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He enters the final week of conference play fifth in both rebounding (8.4 per game) and field goal percentage (57.4%).
Robinson and Barnett Come Alive... Chris Robinson and De'von Barnett both set season-highs for scoring last Saturday at LIU Brooklyn. Barnett scored 18 points against Blackbirds after having just 21 points in his previous four games. It was his first double-figure scoring game since Jan. 7 at Wagner. Robinson tied a career-high with 16 points, making his first four three-pointers. It was his sixth double-figure scoring effort this season.
Scouting the Red Flash... Saint Francis U enters the final week of NEC play tied for fourth at 9-7 with Fairleigh Dickinson, just one game ahead of Sacred Heart and Bryant. After winning four straight games from Jan. 26-Feb. 4, the Red Flash have lost three of their last four games. On Saturday, Saint Francis U fell 79-75 at Bryant. Keith Braxton led all players with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He leads the Red Flash with 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
