The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team fell 76-65 to non-conference host UCF Sunday afternoon at Addition Financial Center in Orlando, Fla. The Pioneers fall to 6-5 on the year, while the Knights improve to 8-2.

The Pioneers hit 8-15 to open the second-half, turning a 37-28 halftime deficit into a 45-43 advantage with 12:43 to play in regulation. SHU shot just 5-19 the remainder of the game, as the Knights outscored the Pioneers 33-20 to earn the victory

The Pioneers wrap-up their four-game road trip at Holy Cross on Sunday, December 22. That game, will air on NESN, and is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

Turning Point:

• The Pioneers opened the second-half hitting 8-15 from the field and took the lead twice, including 45-43 with 13:03 to play in the half
• Frank Bertz hit a three at 12:30 and then was fouled on a fast break, that was called a technical
• The possession netted UCF six points, and gave the Knights a seven-point advantage that it would not relinquish

Pioneer Points:

• SHU had three in double-figures, led by 14 from Jare'l Spellman
• He had his third double-double of the season, with 10 boards, as well as three assists and two blocks
• Cameron Parker finished with 10 points and six assists, while also corralling five rebounds
• E.J. Anosike tallied a dozen points and had seven boards

By The Numbers:

• The Pioneers were 4-27 from behind the three-point line in the game and shot 38.8 percent from the field as a team
• The Knights shot 43.1 percent for the game
• Collin Smith scored 14 points to pace the Knights offense, that had four finish in double figures
• Smith also had a team-best 10 rebounds and three assists
• UCF had a 44-38 rebound advantage with a 15-12 edge on the offensive boards
• SHU committed 12 turnovers, while the Knights had 11
• The Knights were 14-20 from the strike and SHU 9-20

First Half:

• UCF opened the scoring with a three, and were good on 3-5 to open from the floor and open a 7-2 lead
• Spellman drained a pair of free throw out of the first media, to make the score 7-4
• Zack Pfaffenberger drove the lane at 15:17 to make the score 9-6
• Tyler Thomas scored a reverse layup and Aaron Clarke drained a three in transition to knot the score, 11-11, with 14:06 remaining in the first-half
• Smith a conventional three-point play was answered by Parker at 13:06
• A Thomas three-pointer at 11:29 tied the score, 16-16
• Parker fed Anosike on the ensuing fast break, for an 18-16 lead at 11:02
• Anosike hit a turn-around jumper in the paint for a 20-18 advantage, 
• DeJesus answered with a three from the top of the key, to give UCF the 21-20 advantage
• Avery Diggs knocked down a jumper from the top of the paint at 9:00 to push the advantage to three, 23-20
• Spellman, as the shot clock expired, hit from the win, to get within a point, 23-22
• A Spellman put back at 7:31 put the Pioneers back in front, 24-23
• After a stop, Anosike collected an offensive rebound that Spellman dunked for the three-point lead
• Matt Milon hit a three from the corner on the ensuing possession, to tie the score, 26-26
• Green broke a long scoring drought for both teams with a layup at 3:39
• Parker answered 11 seconds later with a short jumper from the paint to retying the score, 28-28
• Green, Jr. drained a three out of the final media timeout of the first-half to spark a 9-0 half ending run, that took the Knights to the break leading 37-28
• UCF was 4-8 from the field during that half-ending run

Second Half:

• Anosike scored the first four points of the second-half
• The Pioneers hit 5-9 over the first 3:52 to open the half on a 10-2 run and close within a point, 39-38, and force a UCF timeout
• Spellman hit from the top of the key to put the Pioneers back in front, 40-39, at 15:23
• DeJesus answered with a floater at 15:06 to put UCF back on top, 41-40
• Ozier free throw with 14:20 to play, tied the score, 41-41
• Diggs at 13:58 gave UCF the lead back, 43-41, which Parker answered at 13:03 after a pair of Pioneer offensive rebounds
• Ozier stole a pass and went coast-to-coast for the 45-43 advantage, at 12:43
• Frank Bertz hit a three at 12:30 to swap lead again, 46-45
• Bertz scored and was fouled, hitting two free throws, to give UCG a 50-45 lead
• Diggs went to the basket to complete the six-point possession for the Knights
• Pfaffenberger hit a pair of free throws at 10:15 to stop a Pioneers scoring drought at 2:28 to make the deficit five, 52-47
• Green scored at 8:36 and Smith dunked an in bound pass to push the lead to 56-47 with 8:27 to play
• LaRose scored from an Anosike pass at 8:05 to make the score 56-49
• Smith went 1-2 at the line at 7:11 to give the Knights an eight-point advantage
• Smith gave UCF a double-digit lead off an inbound, with a reverse layup at 6:25
• Parker hit from the paint 19 seconds later to reach double figures
• A pair of free throws by Fuller with 5:50 to play returned the advantage to 10, 61-51
• A dunk from Dre Fuller, Jr. gave the Knights their largest lead of the game, 63-51, at 5:19
• Out of the timeout, LaRose hit a three to get within nine, but the Knights answered with five straight to push the advantage to 14 points, 68-54
• Spellman and Ozier combined for a 6-0 run to close within 68-60, before Mahan hit a jumper to push the lead back to 10, 70-60
• Spellman hit two free throws at 1:41 to get within eight, before UCF scored five-straight to seal the victory