FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team is gearing up for the 2024 Northeast Conference Tournament, kicking off on Wednesday, March 6 at 7:00 pm in the William H. Pitt Center. The Pioneers are the third seed and will host the sixth-seeded Wagner Seahawks in an NEC quarterfinal for the second straight year.
 
Live Stats | NEC Front Row | Game Notes 
 
RECORDS: 
SHU: 16-15, 10-6 NEC
Wagner: 13-15, 7-9 NEC
 
LAST TIME OUT:

• Raheem Solomon matched his career-high 26 points leading four players in double figures as SHU took down Merrimack 89-85 on Saturday afternoon at home in the NEC regular-season finale.
• Solomon was one of three players that scored 20 or more points for the Pioneers and Alex Sobel recorded his sixth double-double of the season.
• With the win, the Pioneers snapped Merrimack's 10-game win streak, knocked the Warriors out of the top seed, and pushed them to the second seed for the NEC postseason, while maintaining its third seed for the tournament.
• Solomon was a force in the opening half, scoring 19 of his 26 points in the first frame.
• He finished going 10-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from three-point range.
• Sobel shot 9-13 from the field and dished out four assists to go with 11 rbs.
• Nico Galette scored 20 points and had a team-high six assists.
• Sacred Heart shot 54.1% from the field and outrebounded the Warriors 36-25.

OPENING TIP:

• Sacred Heart and Wagner meet for the second consecutive year in the NEC quarterfinal. Last season, SHU was the fourth seed and hosted #5 Wagner. The Pioneers won on their home court 67-55 to advance to the NEC semifinal.
• Sacred Heart finished the regular season with a 10-6 record, its best conference record since 2019-20, securing the third seed in the NEC Tournament, their best seeding in the NEC Tournament since also taking the third seed in the 2020-21 season. SHU has finished in the top four in the NEC in five of the last six seasons.
• Nico Galette and Alex Sobel were named to the All-NEC second team and Joey Reilly was named to the All-NEC third team. 
• SHU is coming off an 89-85 home victory against Merrimack on Saturday to wrap up the regular season, snapping the Warriors' 10-game win streak. Raheem Solomon matched his career-high, Alex Sobel tallied his sixth double-double of the season, and Nico Galette, Sobel, and Solomon all scored 20 or more points.
• Three active Pioneers are averaging in double figures: Galette (13.7), Sobel (12.2), and Reilly (11.4). Sobel leads the team in rebounds (7.3), and Galette is second with 7.2 rpg. All three earned All-NEC accolades.
• Sobel is fifth in the nation in blocks with 84 (as of 3/5) and is sixth in blocks per game with 2.8.
• SHU has four active 1,000-point scorers which is tied for the third most in the NCAA. 
• Reilly, Galette, and Tanner Thomas have brought in NEC Player of the Week awards for the Pioneers this season. Sobel has been a Prime Performer four times.
• Galette, Reilly, and Kyle McGee were voted captains for 2023-24.