Box Score SMITHFIELD, RI – A season that defied the odds in a number of ways came to an end Saturday for the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team on Saturday. The Pioneers dropped an 85-55 decision to Bryant in the semifinals of the NEC Tournament.
Records:
Bryant: 15-5
Sacred Heart: 9-9
Top Performers:
Tyler Thomas (SHU): 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Nico Galette (SHU): 13 points
Aaron Clarke (SHU) 8 points, 4 assists
Of Note:
SHU, picked 10th in the preseason NEC Tournament, should be a contender again in 2021-22 as it brings back its entire starting five, including NEC Most Improved Player and Second-Team All-NEC selection Tyler Thomas.
Thomas knocked down a jumper at the 7:50 mark of the first half to cut the Bryant lead to 22-17. A pair of Mike Sixsmith three-pointers cut the margin to six, but SHU couldn't score the last two minutes of the half as it went into the locker room down 39-28.
In the second half Sacred Heart couldn't keep up with the Bulldogs offensively. The hosts shot 73.1 percent in the final 20 minutes and 63.6 overall. Bryant dominated inside with a 39-20 rebounding advantage and scored 52 of its points in the paint.
Thomas led the way for the Pioneers, scoring 14 points. Posting a season-high 13 points, all in the second half, was first-year forward Nico Galette.
