Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After a lackluster first half offensively by both teams, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team kept the defensive pressure but also turned up the offense to get a Northeast Conference victory over Central Connecticut State. The Pioneers downed the Blue Devils, 65-48, on Thursday.
Records:
Central Connecticut State: 2-8, 2-5 NEC
Sacred Heart: 4-4, 4-3 NEC
Top Performers:
Tyler Thomas (SHU): 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
Cantavio Dutreil (SHU): 15 points, 19 assists
Greg Outlaw (CCSU): 11 points
Up Next:
SHU is back at home on January 21 to take on St. Francis at 7 p.m.
Of Note:
Sacred Heart took control of the game in the second half on both ends of the floor. CCSU didn't score its 10th point of the half until the 4:36 mark. The Pioneers shot 44.8 percent for the final 20 minutes while limiting the Blue Devils to 26.7 percent.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Alex Watson and Tyler Thomas gave SHU its first lead, 22-19, with 1:26 left in the opening half. SHU went to the locker room with a 25-22 advantage.
The Pioneers found their groove to start the second half, opening a 37-24 lead on a pair of Nico Galette free throws. The lead grew to as many as 25 (54-29) on a Thomas three-pointer at the 5:49 mark.
Turning in a terrific game was junior Cantavio Dutreil as he scored 15 points and grabbed 19 rebounds – the most by an NEC player this year and tied for ninth in the NCAA. In addition, 19 boards are the second-most by a Pioneer since SHU went Division 1 in 1999. Thomas added 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Alex Watson added a dozen points.
Greg Outlaw was the lone CCSU player in double digits, producing 11. Jamir Reed snared a team-high seven rebounds.
For the second game in a row, the Pioneers held their opponent under 30 percent shooting as the Blue Devils only mustered 27.9 percent. Sacred Heart had a 49-39 rebounding advantage and limited CCSU to zero second-chance points.
