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The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team rounds out its Ocean State trip with Rhode Island on Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in the Ryan Center on ESPN+. 
 

OPENING TIP

• The only time Sacred Heart has met with Rhode Island was in 2005. The Pioneers fell in a narrow six-point loss, 56-50. 
• SHU has yet to accumulate more than 75 points against a Division I opponent since opening the season with 86 points at La Salle. All three of the Pioneers' wins came when holding their opponents under the 70-point mark. 
• URI is among the top five in the country in blocked shots thanks to a pair of 6-foot-10 twins, Makhi and Makhel Mitchell. As a team, the Rams average 7.2 blocks per game. Makhel averages 3.1 a night. 
• The blocked shots also aids in holding teams to an average of 35.1% from the field. The Rams defense ranks eighth in the country in terms of opponent FG percentage.

TURNING THE AC ON
Aaron Clarke has led the Pioneers in scoring in four of the last five games as he's posted nothing but double-digit scoring since returning from his three-game hiatus (Providence, Binghamton, Fisher). In the last three games, Clarke averaged 18 points across the 1-2 week including 24 points at Brown which matches his career-high. Clarke also dished out a season-high six assists at NJIT. Clarke is also chasing the 1,000 point mark as he's just 80 points away from the milestone. 

FIFTH-YEAR, BEST YEAR
Graduate student Alex Watson has emerged as one of SHU's top scorers as he tallied double-digit scoring in the first four games to kick off the year and recently tallied a career-high 17 points off 7-of-8 shooting from the field at Lafayette. Watson is crucial in the team's success. In all three wins this year, Watson posted double-figure scoring. 

GETTING AHEAD
The Pioneers have only overcame a halftime deficit once this year when they opened the season at La Salle. When trailing at the halftime break, SHU is 1-6. On the flip side, the Pioneers have yet to drop a game when they had the halftime advantage at 2-0.