FAIRFIELD, Conn.— Joey Reilly scored a season-high 23 points to lead the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team to an 89-55 home Northeast Conference victory over LIU on Saturday afternoon. Reilly led five Pioneers in double figures in the win.

Records:
SHU: 8-10, 2-1 NEC
LIU: 3-12, 2-1 NEC

Leaders:
Joey Reilly: 23 points
Kyle McGee: 14 points, 6 rebounds
Aidan Carpenter: 12 points, 5 assists
Nico Galette: 11 points, 6 rebounds
Alex Sobel: 10 points, 4 blocks

Of Note:
Sacred Heart came out with a strong start as Reilly knocked down 10 points, through the opening half. The Pioneers had 44 points coming from the bench, shot 58.1 % from the field, and outrebounded LIU 37-27. Reilly went 9-for-13 from the field and 5-for-7 from behind the arc for his first 20+ point game of the season.

With a 15-15 tie at 13:10 in the first half, Reilly and Raheem Solomon hit back-to-back three-pointers, sparking a 12-0 run to give the Pioneers a 27-15 advantage. Just under the six-minute mark, the Sharks were able to cut their deficit to seven, but Reilly answered with the next five points to extend SHU's lead back to double digits, 34-22.

Two free throws for Nico Galette and a layup by Alex Sobel put the Pios up 38-24, but LIU hit a trey to wrap up the first half. SHU led 38-27 at the break.

LIU pulled within five through the opening two minutes of the second half, but it would not last long as a 12-2 run put SHU ahead 50-35. The Sharks pulled within 12 at 14:40, but from there, it was all Sacred Heart.

A three-pointer from Kyle McGee put the Pioneers up by 21 and never looked back. SHU extended its lead to over 30 in the final four minutes and went on to take a dominating 89-55 home conference victory. The Pioneers handed LIU its first NEC loss this season.

Up Next:
Sacred Heart has a quick turnaround and is back on the road on Monday, January 15, at Le Moyne at 7:00 pm.