NEC Front Row | Live Stats | SHU Game Notes
The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team looks to remain undefeated in Northeast Conference action when it meets at Bryant on Friday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and will be available on NEC Front Row. 

OPENING TIP

• Sacred Heart and Bryant meet for the first time this season after not facing off during the regular season a year ago due to COVID-related issues. The last time the two teams met was in the NEC Semifinal when the Bulldogs defeated the Pioneers, 85-55. 
• The semifinal loss snapped a five-game win streak for the Pioneers, but they still hold the all-time series record, 18-8. 
• Sacred Heart kicks off conference play with a win for the first time since the 2018-19 season when they topped LIU with the same exact scoring margin, 79-75. The Bulldogs also enter the matchup 1-0 in NEC play after downing Central Connecticut, 80-76. 
• Tyler Thomas enters Friday's game leading the country in field goal attempts (236) and is sixth in made field goals (102).

FROM LONG DISTANCE
The Pioneers are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the conference. SHU's offense is very three-point heavy as they are among the top 25 teams in the country at 366 three-point field goal attempts. The high volume of attempts has led to a high volume going through the net as they lead the conference and are 39th nationally at 122 total made three's. The stat can be thanked in part to Tyler Thomas who is 13th nationally with 105 three-point attempts and is ranked in the top 50 with 36 made three's.

CANTAVIO DUTREIL
Senior Cantavio Dutreil posted a season-best game against LIU to kick off the conference slate. Dutreil was two points away from a double-double as he pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds and matched his season-best of eight points. The senior from Haiti also posted three blocks in one of the longest games he's played in his career at 28 minutes.

OKAY NICO
Sophomore Nico Galette has seen a well-deserved increase in his role since his rookie season. Galette has posted double-figure scoring performances in the last four games, including 18 at Columbia which tied his career-best. Against LIU, Galette was held to just two points and two rebounds in the first half after getting into early foul trouble, but he poured in 14 points and six rebounds in the second half alone to finish the game with 16 and eight. The 6-foot-6 forward also dominates the glass and is ranked 14th in the country with 120 rebounds on the year. Galette leads the conference with 8.6 rebounds per game and is second in offensive boards per game (2.57).

TURNING THE AC ON
Aaron Clarke plays a vital role in SHU's success. As the second-leading scorer on the team at 15.6 ppg, Clarke led the Pioneers in scoring in six of the 10 games that he's played in so far this season. In the last two games, Clarke did not miss from the free throw line. Against Hartford, Clarke shot 11-for-11 and followed it up with a 7-for-7 mark against to LIU. Outside of scoring, Clarke has been a true point guard and has combined for 22 assists in the last four games - Columbia (8 - career-high), UMass Lowell (4), Hartford (4), LIU (6). Clarke currently sits at third in the NEC with 140 assists on the year and averages 4.0 a night. 

TYLER T, MVP?
Tyler Thomas has continued to defend his crown as the leading scorer in the NEC at 18.9 ppg and is 11th nationally in total points with 264. The high volume scorer leads the country in field goal attempts (236) and is sixth in made field goals (102). Thomas has only  been held to single digits once at Stony Brook (9) but immediately bounced back when he posted a season-high 30 points at URI off 10-of-18 shooting from the field. On the defensive end, Thomas is SHU's leader in steals with 21 which ranks third in the NEC.