FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The Sacred Heart University men's basketball team led at the half and remained in control deep into the second half, but a late surge by Quinnipiac proved decisive as the Bobcats pulled away for a 70–60 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) win on Sunday afternoon at the William H. Pitt Center.

Records
Sacred Heart: 5–13 (1–6 MAAC)
Quinnipiac: 12–5 (5–1 MAAC)

Leaders
Anquan Hill: 21 points, 7 rebounds
Nyle Ralph-Beyer: 17 points, 7 rebounds

How It Happened
After a slow start, Sacred Heart found its rhythm late in the opening half. Trailing by five early, a Fallou Gueye three-pointer pulled the Pioneers within two at 11–9. Quinnipiac answered with a layup, but Yann Farell and Dashon Gittens drilled back-to-back triples to give SHU a 15–13 lead at the 8:13 mark.

From there, the game stayed tight, with neither team leading by more than three until Anquan Hill and Nyle Ralph-Beyer combined for five straight points to extend the Sacred Heart advantage to 29–24 with 45 seconds remaining. Quinnipiac cut the deficit to three, but Ralph-Beyer knocked down his fifth three-pointer of the day at the buzzer to send the Pioneers into the break with a 32–26 lead.

Quinnipiac opened the second half with a three-pointer to pull within three, but Sacred Heart responded with an 8–3 run to take a 40–32 lead at the 16:29 mark.

With SHU ahead 42–38, the Bobcats scored seven unanswered points to claim their first lead of the half, 43–42. Hill answered with back-to-back layups to regain the lead for the Pioneers, but the Bobcats quickly evened the score at 46–46 with 10:43 remaining.

Neither team led by more than four until Hill connected from beyond the arc to give Sacred Heart a 57–52 edge at 6:20. Quinnipiac answered with a decisive late run, closing the game on an explosive stretch to secure the 70–60 victory.

Sacred Heart finished with 10 made three-pointers, reaching double figures from beyond the arc for the first time since Dec. 29, and held a 38–37 rebounding advantage.

Of Note
• Hill scored a game-high 21 points in his second game back, marking his ninth double-figure performance of the season.
• Ralph-Beyer recorded double figures for the 11th time this year.
• Sacred Heart totaled 38 bench points, led by Hill and Ralph-Beyer.

Up Next
Sacred Heart heads back on the road Wednesday, Jan. 14, traveling to Siena for a 7:00 p.m. MAAC matchup.