FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The Sacred Heart men's basketball team dropped its return to the Pitt Center on Sunday afternoon, falling 81–69 to Iona in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) matchup. Yann Farell and Nyle Ralph-Beyer each scored 16 points, leading five Pioneers in double figures.

The Pioneers led early and knocked down 13 three-pointers, but a decisive second-half surge lifted the Gaels to their first conference win of the season.

Records:
Sacred Heart: 3–6 (1-1 MAAC)
Iona: 7-3 (1-1 MAAC)

Leaders:
Yann Farell: 16 points, 6 rebounds
Nyle Ralph-Beyer: 16 points, 4-8 3PT
Dashon Gittens: 11 points, 3 rebounds
Anquan Hill: 10 points, 8 rebounds
Abdou Yadd: 10 points, 3 rebounds

How it happened:
Sacred Heart opened with strong pace and perimeter shooting, using a pair of early threes from Ralph-Beyer and Mekhi Conner to build a 13–4 advantage, its largest lead of the afternoon. The Pioneers hit seven triples in the first half and held the lead for more than seven minutes, but Iona answered with a 13–0 run midway through the period to swing the momentum.

Buckets from Abdou Yadd and a late three from Farell helped steady SHU, but the Pioneers entered halftime trailing 36–32.

Iona took control after the break, capitalizing on SHU turnovers to score 14 second-half points and using a 9–0 spurt to push the lead to 51–38 with 15:54 remaining. The Gaels shot 53.8 percent in the second half and went 83 percent from the line, while also getting 34 points from their bench.

Sacred Heart continued to fight from long range, knocking down six threes in the period and trimming the deficit to four at 59–55 after a Ralph-Beyer triple with 9:54 left. Iona responded with another run to restore a double-digit cushion. SHU pulled within nine in the closing minutes, but the Gaels had answers throughout to secure the 81–69 final.

The Pioneers shot 41.1 percent from the field, 37.1 percent from three, and outrebounded Iona 35–33.

Of Note

• Gittens has scored in double figures in every game he has played this season.
• Yadd and Farell each posted their second straight double-figure scoring effort.
• Conner matched his season high with nine assists and has recorded five or more in five consecutive games.

Up Next
Sacred Heart steps out of conference play for the next four contests. The Pioneers travel to NJIT on Saturday, Dec. 13, for a 2 p.m. matchup.