FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Junior Tyler Thomas was the key factor in the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team's 77-64 triumph over Central Connecticut State on MLK Day. Thomas finished the game with 21 points after posting 18 in the first half alone to give the Pioneers the edge over the Blue Devils. 
 
Records:
Sacred Heart: 7-10, 3-3
Central Connecticut: 4-14, 2-4
 
Top Performers:
Tyler Thomas: 21 points, 2 assists
Aaron Clarke: 13 points, 3 assists, 2 steals
Bryce Johnson: 9 points, 13 rebounds, 1 block
 
Up Next:
The Pioneers hit the road for Mount St. Mary's on Friday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on NEC Front Row. 
 
Of Note:
Thomas took over from the jump when he drained four-of-four from the field to score the first ten points for the Red & White. Despite Thomas's hot hand, the Pioneers couldn't shake the Blue Devils midway through the first half. With the score tied at 12 at the 10-minute mark, Joey Reilly sank a pair from the stripe to kickstart a 12-1 run to give SHU its first double-digit lead, 24-13. 
 
Thanks to a 19-4 push, led by Alex Watson with a pair of threes, Sacred Heart grew to its largest lead of the night, 56-31, with 12 minutes remaining. The Pioneers were unable to maintain the double-digit lead when the Blue Devils started heating up coming out of the final media break. A pair of Nigel Scantlebury threes book ended an 11-2 CCSU run to pull within seven with less than a minute remaining. Aaron Clarke refused to let Central Connecticut come within one possession as he netted the final six points for the Pioneers before the final score, 74-66. 
 
Thomas posted 18 first half points before being held to just three in the second. In the first half, Thomas was seven-for-12 from the field and shot 50% from three (4-8). The junior from New Haven, Conn. finished the night shooting eight-of-16 from the field and five-of-11 from behind the three-point line. The double-digit performance is his 11^th-straight and sixth 20-point game of the year.

Bryce Johnson was just one point shy of a double-double as he pulled down a season-best 13 rebounds. Johnson was three-of-four from the field and grabbed an added three-for-three from the stripe.  

Clarke tallied 13 points in the outing and dished out three assists.