LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — For the second straight game, all five starters scored in double figures as the Sacred Heart University men's basketball team earned a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) road win, defeating Rider, 105–85, on Monday afternoon.
Anquan Hill led all scorers with 26 points, while
Dashon Gittens and
Mekhi Conner each recorded a double-double in the victory.
Records
Sacred Heart: 7–13 (3–6 MAAC)
Rider: 2–16 (1–8 MAAC)
Leaders
Anquan Hill: 26 points, 6 rebounds
Dashon Gittens: 25 points, 10 rebounds
Yann Farell: 16 points, 5 rebounds
Mekhi Conner: 14 points, 13 assists, 8 rebounds
Nyle Ralph-Beyer: 14 points, 4 rebounds
How It Happened
Sacred Heart opened the game on an 8–2 run, knocking down a pair of three-pointers early. Rider answered with a run to take a brief two-point lead, but the Pioneers quickly regained control and never trailed again.
Holding a 24–21 advantage, Sacred Heart rattled off eight straight points to extend the lead to 32–21 with 8:59 remaining in the first half. Rider trimmed the deficit late in the half, but SHU continued to respond to maintain a double-digit cushion. A dunk by Hill in the final 30 seconds sent Sacred Heart into halftime with a 51–38 lead. The Pioneers connected on 10 three-pointers in the opening frame, with Hill (10) and Gittens (13) scoring in double figures.
Sacred Heart opened the second half by pushing the lead to 20, 63–43, in the first four minutes. Rider pulled within 11 at the 12:46 mark, but the Pioneers answered with an 8–0 run, highlighted by five points from Ralph-Beyer, to stretch the margin to 76–57.
The Pioneers maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the way, and a Conner three-pointer at 2:53 gave SHU its largest advantage of the game, 99–74. In the final minute,
Malik Sheppard scored his first career points as Sacred Heart secured the 105–85 win.
Sacred Heart shot 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from beyond the arc and 61 percent (35-for-59) from the field, while narrowly outrebounding Rider, 36–34.
Of Note
• Sacred Heart eclipsed 100 points for the second time this season.
• Gittens recorded his third career double-double, matched his career high with four three-pointers, and finished one point shy of his career-high scoring mark.
• Hill posted his third consecutive 20-point performance and his fifth of the season.
• Conner dished out a season-high 13 assists for his second double-double of the year.
• All five starters scored in double figures for the second straight game.
• Sheppard made a layup to secure his first career points.
Up Next
Sacred Heart returns to the Pitt Center on Thursday, January 22, hosting Canisius at 7:00 p.m.
