BROOKLYN, N.Y.-- Bryce Johnson tallied his fourth double-double of the season, leading five players in double figures, as Sacred Heart men's basketball secured an 82-64 victory over LIU on the road for its first Northeast Conference victory of the season.

Records:
Sacred Heart: 7-9, 1-1 NEC
LIU: 2-11, 0-2 NEC

Top Performers:
Bryce Johnson: 18 points, 10 rebounds
Nico Galette: 18 points, 5 rebounds
Brendan McGuire: 11 points, 8 assists
Raheem Solomon: 11 points
Joey Reilly: 10 points

Of Note:
Neither team led by more than four points during the opening 12 minutes of play. Galette made a layup at 7:22 to bring the Pioneers within one, 25-24, that sparked a 9-0 run, giving Sacred Heart a 31-25 lead with 5:40 left in the half. The Pioneers ended the opening frame with a 10-4 run in the final five minutes to take a 41-30 halftime advantage.

The Pioneers opened the second half with a quick 8-2 run through two minutes of play to take a 49-32 lead. A layup by Galette at 16:39 would give Sacred Heart its largest lead of the game, so far at 53-35. LIU climbed back a bit, cutting the Pioneers lead to eight at 13:00, 53-45, but the SHU answered with back-to-back threes from Solomon and Mike Sixsmith to take a 59-45 lead. The Pioneers went up by as many as 19 in the remainder of the game and were able to secure its first NEC victory on the road, 82-64.

The Pioneers shot 50% (30-for-60) from the floor and brought down 40 rebounds.

Up Next:
Sacred Heart will continue NEC play on the road on Thursday, January 5th, at 7:00 PM at Merrimack.