The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team secured the third-seed in the upcoming Northeast Conference Tournament, with 73-63 victory over visitor St. Francis College. The win improves the Pioneers to 18-12 on the year and 11-6 in NEC play, while the Terriers fall to 12-17 overall and 6-11 in conference action.

The 18^th win gives the Pioneers a Division I program record win total. SHU teams in 2006-07 and 2007-08 both posted 18-14 records. 

The Pioneers close out the regular season on Saturday when they host Long Island University. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 3:30 and will be preceded by a senior day ceremony honoring Kinnon LaRose and Jare'l Spellman

Turning Point

• St. Francis used a 14-4 run over a 3:46 stretch in the second-half, to turn an eight-point deficit into a 53-51 lead with 9:50 to play
• The Pioneers scored six points, in 73 seconds of play, with baskets from Tyler Thomas, E.J. Anosike and Aaron Clarke, to retake a 57-53 lead, with 8:03 to play, that it would not relinquish

Pioneer Points

• E.J. Anosike recorded his 16^th double-double of the season, leading the Pioneers ith 19 points and 14 rebounds
• Kinnon LaRose scored a season-best 21 points, hitting 7-10 from the field and 4-5 from behind the arc
• Clarke finished with 10 points and five assists, while Koreem Ozier tallied four assists
• Jare'l Spellman collected 11 boards, eight points and five blocked shots
• LaRose added seven rebounds
• All eight Pioneers that played scored and had a rebound in the game

By the Numbers

• Chauncey Hawkins scored 16 points to lead the Terriers, as well as handing out a team-best four assists
• Deniz Celen hit 3-8 from behind the arc to tally 15 points
• Unique McLean led the Terriers with 11 rebounds
• SHU had a 48-37 edge in rebounds
• The Terriers only turned the ball over nine times on the evening

First-Half

• Anosike scored on the first possession
• The Terriers answered with five points in 40 seconds to take a 5-2 lead on a Celen three pointer 81 seconds into the game
• Ozier hit from the top of the key at 17:50, tying the game, and Anosike hit from the foul line on the next possession for a 7-5 advantage
• Just over a minute later, Clarke found LaRose on a backdoor cut to give SHU a 9-6 advantage
• Ozier found LaRose at the top of the key for a three-pointer, to give the Pioneers a 19-10 edge with 11:50 to play in the half
• The Terriers scored the next five points, and 11 of 15, capped by consecutive Hawkins baskets at 8:26 and 7:48 to close within a pair, 23-12, with 7:48 to play
• Clarke hit a pull up jumper just inside the foul line at the 6:51 mark
• That basket started a 56 second span that saw SHU score seven straight, with a Spellman put back and a LaRose triple from the corner, for the 30-21 advantage
• Milija Cosic ended that run with a triple of his own with 4:50 to play before the break, making the deficit six, 30-24
• Clarke answered with a three at the 3:22 mark, to make the lead nine again
• Anosike scored with 85 seconds left for the 35-26 edge and after Spellman hit a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left to make the lead 37-28
• Celen hit a three as time expired, to send the teams to the locker room, with the Pioneer in front 37-31

Second-Half

• Anosike opened the scoring in the second-half with a pair of free throws 1:12 into the half, making the lead 41-33
• The Terriers closed within four points, 41-37 on a Hawkins fast break basket with 16:38 to play
• SHU answered with 6-2 run, that finished with a Tyler Thomas steal, at the top of the key and on the fast break layup that followed, he was fouled and made the bonus, for a 47-39 lead
• YaYa Evens drained a three at the 14:04 mark to start a 10-1 Terrier run that brought St. Francis within one, 4948, when Celen knocked down a three at the 11:53 mark
• A pair of Ozier free throws pushed the lead back to three, but Evans converted an and- one with 11:01 left, tying the score 51-51
• Hawkins hit from outside the paint at the 9:50 mark, to give the Terriers a lead
• Thomas score on the Pioneers next possession, to bring SHU level, 53-53, and start a 6-0 run that put SHU in front for good
• The Terriers were able to close within a pair three times the rest of the way, the last time with 5:35 to play and the Pioneers leading 61-59
• Anosike scored in the paint at 4:59, opening a game-ending 12-4 run for SHU