FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Fresh off its second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) win of the season, the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team travels to Rider on Monday, January 19, for a 2 p.m. tip to open a three-game week.

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OPENING TIP

• Sacred Heart and Rider meet for the fourth time in series history, but for just the second time in the last 25 years. The Broncs hold a 2–1 advantage in the all-time series.
• The Pioneers enter the matchup following an 86–80 MAAC road victory at Siena on Wednesday, while Rider is coming off a 69–58 road loss at Saint Peter's.
• All five Sacred Heart starters scored in double figures at Siena, led by Anquan Hill's 22 points and Nyle Ralph-Beyer's 21. Dashon Gittens recorded his third career double-double in the win.
• Hill has scored in double figures in all three games since returning from injury, including two 20-plus point performances.
• Gittens ranks ninth in the MAAC in scoring at 14.1 points per game, while Ralph-Beyer is 12th at 13.1. Sacred Heart ranks fifth in the conference in scoring offense (74.5 ppg) and leads the MAAC in three-pointers made per game (10.6).
• Four Pioneers are averaging double figures this season: Hill (16.2 ppg), Gittens (14.1 ppg), Ralph-Beyer (13.1 ppg), and Yann Farell (11.4 ppg).
• Sacred Heart was picked third in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll and led the league with three preseason All-MAAC selections: Hill (First Team), Mekhi Conner (Second Team), and Ralph-Beyer (Third Team).
• The Pioneers return nine players from last season's roster and added two transfers—Gittens and Farell—along with four first-year players. Sacred Heart is in its second season in the MAAC after a strong debut that included a seventh-place finish and a conference tournament win over Fairfield to reach the quarterfinals.
• Sacred Heart features three student-athletes from Africa—Fallou Gueye, Yann Farell, and Abdou Yadd—and is celebrating its 60th season of men's basketball. Head coach Anthony Latina is in his 13th season at the helm.

SCOUTING RIDER

• Rider holds a 1–7 record in MAAC play, with its lone league win coming against Iona, 72–68. The Broncs are coming off a 69–58 road loss at Saint Peter's on Saturday.
• Flash Burton (12.8 ppg) and Zion Cruz (12.3 ppg) are the team's leading scorers, while Caleb Smith leads Rider on the glass at 7.1 rebounds per game.
• Rider was selected 10th in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, and Cruz earned Preseason All-MAAC Third Team honors.

LAST TIME OUT

• All five starters scored in double figures, led by Hill and Ralph-Beyer with 20-plus points apiece, as Sacred Heart earned an 86–80 MAAC road victory over Siena on Wednesday evening at MVP Arena.
• The Pioneers came out firing, knocking down nine three-pointers in the opening half. Hill and Ralph-Beyer combined for six triples in the first five-and-a-half minutes.
• Siena briefly took a one-point lead in the first half, but Sacred Heart responded and carried a 42–38 advantage into the break.
• Ralph-Beyer opened the second half with a three-pointer to extend the lead to seven. Siena pulled within three multiple times, but the Pioneers answered each run.
• A Conner three-pointer at the 10:01 mark gave Sacred Heart a nine-point cushion, 63–54. Siena closed to within one, 73–72, with 2:50 remaining, but a Ralph-Beyer triple and two Hill free throws restored breathing room.
• Siena cut the deficit to two twice in the final minute, but a Gittens layup and two late free throws from Hill sealed the victory.

INSIDE THE RANKINGS

• Sacred Heart ranks fifth in the MAAC in scoring offense at 74.5 points per game and leads the conference with 201 made three-pointers, averaging 10.6 per game (23rd nationally). The Pioneers are also tied for 21st nationally in three-point attempts per game (30.1) and rank ninth in the country in free throw percentage (78.71%).
• Individually, Gittens ranks ninth in the MAAC in scoring at 14.1 ppg, while Ralph-Beyer is 13th at 13.1. Gittens owns the 10th-best field-goal percentage in the league at 50.9%.
• Ralph-Beyer (.459) and Farell (.424) rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in the MAAC in three-point percentage, with Ralph-Beyer's mark ranking 11th nationally.
• Conner is second in the conference in assists per game (5.6), ranking 39th nationally, and leads the MAAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3). His 106 total assists rank 25th in the country.