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The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team is back in action for the first time in a week after a snow storm postponed last Saturday's matchup with Merrimack. The Pioneers take a trip to New York City for a pair of Northeast Conference games, first at LIU on Thursday night at 7 p.m. on NEC Front Row. 

OPENING TIP

• Sacred Heart topped LIU earlier this season, 69-65, in Fairfield to open up the conference slate. Nico Galette (16 pts. 8 reb) and Cantavio Dutreil (8 pts. 14 reb.) posted near double-doubles while Aaron Clarke led with 17 points and six assists. 
• LIU's Ty Flowers, who dropped 36 points on the Pioneers earlier this year, is suspended for Thursday's matchup. LIU head coach Derek Kellogg and teammate Alex Rivera were also issued a one-game suspension due to the actions during the Sharks' game at Bryant on January 30th. 
• The Pioneers look to snap a three-game losing streak after falling to Mount St. Mary's, Saint Francis, and St. Francis Brooklyn. The Sharks have also lost a string of games as they enter Thursday to both Central Connecticut (65-62) and Bryant (88-81). 
• The Sharks are 6-1 on their home court with their lone loss coming to NEC powerhouse Wagner on January 21. LIU fell, 92-85, in overtime.

TURNING THE AC ON
Aaron Clarke's double-digit scoring streak of seven-straight games came to a halt last week against St. Francis Brooklyn when the Terriers held the senior point guard to just six. In the last ten games, Clarke averages 15.5 points per game. Despite matching his lowest scoring output of the season, Clarke still found a way to contribute as he dished out three assists. Clarke ranks second in the NEC in assists per game with 4.0 a night and 4.3 against conference foes. The Parsippany, N.J. native also cashes in from the stripe as he posts the highest free throw shooting percentage of anyone in the league at .886.  

TYLER T, MVP?
Tyler Thomas leads the Pioneers in scoring averaging 17.8 points per game and has posted double-digits in all but two games this season. In 10 of SHU's 19 games, Thomas led the team in scoring, including a season-high 30-point performance at URI. However, against conference foes, Thomas has seen a slight decline averaging just 15.1 a night. The New Haven, Conn. product ranks third in the league in scoring but seventh when against NEC opponents. 

OKAY NICO
Sophomore Nico Galette is the top rebounder in the NEC with 8.3 rebounds per game. Against NEC foes, Galette has gathered 54, for an average of 7.7. a night. In two of the first three NEC games, Galette posted a pair of double-doubles. First against Bryant with a stat line of 18 points (tied career-high), 16 rebounds, four assists, and one steal, and again against FDU with 17 points, 11 rebounds. Against LIU, he was two rebounds short of a double-double with 16 points and eight rebounds, after securing 14 points and six rebounds in the second half alone due to early foul trouble in the first half. 

FIFTH YEAR BEST YEAR
Graduate student Alex Watson posted his first career 20-point performance at Mount St. Mary's with a career-best 22 points. Watson shot 6-of-11 from the field and netted a career-high five three-pointers (5-8) as he led the team in scoring for the first time this season. Its the third time this season that Watson notched a new career-high in scoring. He opened the season with 16 at La Salle before netting 17 at Lafayette. Most recently against St. Francis Brooklyn, Watson pulled down a career-high six rebounds which all came from the offensive side of the floor. 

ICY BRYCEY
Sophomore Bryce Johnson has started in every game this season. The 6-7 forward matches Dutreil with 120 rebounds on the year which is good for eighth in the league. In the last two games, Johnson posted back-to-back double-digit scoring performances with 12 at Saint Francis and 13 against St. Francis Brooklyn. Against the Terriers, Johnson was one of two Pioneers to lead the team with seven rebounds.