ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.— In their debut in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team defeated Fairfield, 71-58 to advance to the Quarterfinals. The Pioneers will take on the second seed, Merrimack, on Wednesday, March 12, at 8:30 pm at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.  
 
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Opening Tip:

• After winning its first game in the MAAC Championships, seventh-seeded Sacred Heart advanced to the quarterfinals to take on the second seed, Merrimack, on Wednesday. 
• The Pioneers and Warriors split in the regular season, and both games were decided by one point. Merrimack won at SHU, 66-65, on January 10, and the Pios defeated the Warriors, 60-59, on February 21. 
• This will be the first time the two teams meet in the postseason as members of the MAAC; previously, the two faced off in the Northeast Conference semifinal on March 2, 2023. The Warriors defeated the Pioneers 71-60 and went on to win the NEC Championship. 
• SHU defeated Fairfield 71-58 on Tuesday, claiming its third victory over Fairfield this year. Amiri Stewart led three players in double figures with 18 points. Bryce Johnson tallied his 1,000th career point. 
• Three Pioneers are averaging double figures: Tanner Thomas (14.9), Anquan Hill (12.8), and Stewart (12.1). 
• Thomas is the team leader in rebounds with 6.3, followed by Bryce Johnson (5.9) and Hill (5.3).
• Mekhi Conner is 9th in the nation with 209 assists and in assists per game, with 6.5 this season.
• Sacred Heart's 9.7 three-pointers per game are 33rd in the country, 38th in 3PT attempts at 27.5, and 27th in assists per game at 16.7.
• Thomas, Hill, and Conner earned All-MAAC honors
• This is Sacred Heart's first season as a full-time member of the MAAC.
• Head Coach Anthony Latina is in his 12th season as head coach and 20th year overall.

GAME 1 VS MERRIMACK
After trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half, Sacred Heart had a strong surge that came down to the final seconds of play. Merrimack made a pair of free throws to take a nine-point lead, 65-57, with 3:21 left in the game, but Tanner Thomas sparked an 8-0 run, including a three-pointer that made it a four-point game with 1:19 left. Amiri Stewart made a layup with 30 seconds left to pull within two, and a Mekhi Conner steal gave the Pios possession with 24 seconds left to play. Conner was fouled while shooting and made one of two free throws to pull within one, 66-65. A missed free throw for Merrimack gave SHU one final chance to take the game, but they could not connect on an inbound play as time expired.
 
GAME 2 VS MERRIMACK
In a thrilling MAAC matchup, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team defeated Merrimack 60-59 on Friday evening on the road. Anquan Hill and Bryce Johnson recorded their third double-double of the season, while Tanner Thomas rounded out double-figure scorers with 12 points. After a 29-29 tie at halftime, neither team led by more than four points. A Hill layup pushed the Pios ahead, 56-51. At 1:28, a Merrimack triple pulled the Warriors within one, 58-57, but Conner secured a pair of free throws to give SHU a three-point lead, 60-57. Merrimack drew a three-point shooting foul with three seconds on the clock but only made two of three free throws as the Pioneers held on to claim the 60-59 victory.

ABOUT MERRIMACK   

• Also, in its first year in the MAAC, Merrimack finished as the second seed in the MAAC Championships with a 17-14 (14-6 MAAC) record. 
• Bryan Etumnu was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and Adam "Budd" Clark was named the All-MAAC first team. 
• Clark is the MAAC leader in points per game with 20.2.
• Etumnu led the MAAC in blocks with 69 on the season. He also led the conference in blocks per game with 2.3.
• The Warriors offense is 12th in the MAAC (66.0) but has the league's top-ranked defense.